The Story Keepers of DC
by Daniel Fielder
Summary: In the 21st century, human farmer, Jonathan Kent, takes in three children and tells them the stories of Jesus as they help save fellow Christians from the oppressive emperor, Lionel Luthor, and await the return of their parents.
1. Clark Kent

The Story Keepers mixed with Smallville and Arrow.

Disclaimer: The Story Keepers belong to Focus on the Family, and the characters of Smallville, Arrow, and any other DC Characters I may use belong to the CW, Warner Brothers, DC Comics, and their respective creators.

* * *

On Earth, during the year 2064 AD, the emperor Lionel Luthor unleashed his fury on the Christians for the crime of proclaiming a king higher than Luthor.  
Setting the city of Metropolis on fire, Lionel placed the blame on the Christians and launched a new campaign to wipe them out. Families were separated and children were left homeless as thousands were sold into slavery or worse, thrown to the lions.  
Escaping the panic of the fire and dodging the advancing soldiers, a group of children found shelter in the gentle care of Jonathan and Martha Kent, a local farmer and his wife.  
There, the children discovered an amazing, secret network of daring men and women who risked their lives to help one another and to tell the stories of the great story teller. The one called Jesus.  
So awaiting the day when their parents would return, Laurel, Clark, Oliver, and Thea embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. Their mission was to keep the stories of Jesus, from over 2000 years ago, alive.  
This is their story. They are...

**The Story Keepers of DC  
**Breakout Part 1: Clark Kent

_If the torch still burns,  
We will make it through the darkness...  
_Moira sent her children Oliver and Thea off with their newly found friend, Laurel, as several soldiers arrived. She prayed to God that they would see each other again. Her husband, Robert, had already been sold into slavery just a few days ago.  
_We will keep our voices strong.  
We will be heard...  
_Oliver, Thea, and Laurel rushed through the streets as Oliver noticed some guards and pulled Laurel and Thea back. Oliver had bright blue eyes with blonde hair. His five-year-old sister, Thea, had brown hair and green eyes. Laurel had green eyes and brown hair. Oliver hoped that they could find a safe place before the soldiers found them.  
_Now it's up to us to tell...  
The stories...  
Now it's up to us,  
To carry on his word...  
_As the children rushed off, they arrived at a farm outside of Metropolis as a man with brown hair and blue eyes walked out.  
"Laurel, any idea who that guy is?" Oliver asked.  
"Uh-uh." Laurel said.  
"I'll see." Thea said as she walked up to the man as he turned to Thea.  
"Hey little lady." The man said.  
"Hi." Thea said.  
"Uh-oh." The other two children said as the man knelt down, but to their relief, he smiled.  
"My name is Jonathan Kent. Where are your parents?" Jonathan asked.  
"Our parents were taken to be slaves." Oliver said as Thea hugged a stuffed tiger she'd brought with her.  
"Mine were still in the house when Lionel Luthor's soldiers set Metropolis on fire." Laurel said sadly.  
"Well I'm sure they're all gonna be okay." Jonathan said. "Until we find them, you can stay here."  
_We'll march on and on,  
And proudly keep the stories.  
We will hold the torch,  
And keep its burning flame!  
And we'll pass on all the truths  
And the glories!  
_Inside Jonathan's house, they met a woman with red hair and blue eyes who walked up to Jonathan with a brown haired teenager with hazel eyes.  
"Who are these three?" The woman asked.  
"They're children who got separated from their families." Jonathan explained. "I promised they could stay here until we could find them."  
"And you believe them, Mr. Kent?" The boy asked.  
"Bruce." Jonathan said. "They're just children, and they need a home."  
"Jonathan's right." The woman said as she bent down. "Hello. I'm Jonathan's wife, Martha."  
"Hi." Thea said.  
"Bruce Wayne." Bruce said with a sigh. "My friends call me Bruce."  
"Good to know." Oliver said. "So... Anything we should be aware of now we're here?"  
"Yes." Jonathan said. "We're Christians."  
"Oh, like Mom and Dad." Thea said.  
"Right." Martha said. "In fact, Jonathan's been preparing to tell a story at one of our meetings."  
"About who?" Thea asked.  
"About Jesus." Jonathan said.  
"Wait, before this goes any further, are you sure we can keep them safe here? I mean, what are we gonna tell people? You found them wandering out of the fields?"  
"We didn't find them." Martha said with a smile. "They found us."  
"So, what's the story about?" Oliver asked after a moment.  
"I'll give you guys a sneak preview since you'll be living here, and I need to practice." Jonathan said kindly. "You see, when Jesus was a young boy well over two thousand years ago, he went to Jerusalem with his parents for the pass over feast..."  
_And we'll carry on...  
Yes we'll carry on...  
His name . . .!  
_  
A few weeks later, Jonathan was in the middle of a friendly market place in Smallville.  
"Fruits, vegetables, and grain!" Jonathan called out. "Fresh fruit, vegetables, and grain!"  
"Hey Mr. Kent!" A blond friend of Jonathan's named Bart said. "I'll take four apples."  
"Over here, Jonathan!" A Martian named J'onn J'onzz called out. "I'll take five!"  
"Four apples and five!" Jonathan called out.  
"Four apples and five." Laurel repeated.  
"Four and five wrapped and tied." Martha said with a smile as she held up a package of four apples and a package of five and handed them to Thea.  
"Get ready, Jonathan!" Thea called out as she passed them to Oliver.  
"Cause here they fly!" Oliver said as he tossed the apples to Jonathan, which he caught easily.  
Jonathan then walked up to Bart, glad to have an excuse to talk to him and his parents.  
"Hey Bart." Jonathan said. "You've gotten big."  
Jonathan then leaned Bart's father close so no one else could hear and whispered, "Meeting tonight at Snyder's Mill."  
"Here you are J'onn." Jonathan said again as once more he leaned close to J'onn and whispered. "Meeting tonight at Snyder's Mill."  
Jonathan tried to go to market once a weak as a way to have an excuse to talk to his friends naturally and inform them of the meeting times.  
"Perfect for the kids." Jonathan said as he took a pastry sample from the baker and ate it. "I'll give you twenty credits for the box."  
Jonathan then leaned in to the baker, Carter Hall, and whispered, "By the way Carter, meeting tonight at Snyder's Mill."  
While Jonathan was talking with Carter, a young boy with black hair and blue eyes, juggling several balls, walked into the road in front of the truck the gang was using as several oranges fell off and the boy quickly grabbed them.  
"Why don't you learn how to drive?" The boy asked.  
"Well why don't you stay out of the road?" Oliver asked.  
"Hey, those are our oranges." Bruce pointed out as the boy began juggling them.  
The people laughed as Oliver was unable to catch them when Jonathan showed up to keep things calm.  
"Nice juggling little fellow." Jonathan said. "What's your name?"  
"I'm Clark Kent." Clark said. "No relation to you. You know, if you really want a treat, I could juggle some of those watermelons in your truck."  
"Well," Jonathan said with a smile. "I think we should see this."  
Clark was given the melons and easily juggled them.  
"Wow." Laurel said. "How are you doing that?"  
"Easy." Clark said with a smile. "It's all in the wrists and timing the tosses just right. Here, let me show you."

By evening, Clark handed Laurel two small bean bags as she began to successfully juggle them.  
"Clark!" Laurel called out excitedly. "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!"  
She'd never really done anything like this before. She'd always stuck to books.  
"See?" Clark said with a smile. "You're doing pretty well, Laurel."  
Suddenly, Laurel missed count and the bean bag hit her on the head.  
"Ouch." Clark said with a smile.  
"Laurel!" Martha called out.  
"Jonathan and Martha are really nice." Clark observed wistfully.  
"Yeah, they're great." Laurel said as she thought of how Jonathan and Martha selflessly took her, Oliver, and Thea in, something she doubted many others would have. "Jonathan's the greatest guy on Earth, and you should hear him tell a story."  
"Oh, my parents are great too." Clark said with a smile. "We have a family circus act and travel the whole world."  
"Wow." Laurel said in awe. "Where do you live?"  
"Oh," Clark said. "Well, see that big white villa? We live in an even bigger one just behind it."  
Laurel looked at a large white house as she gaped at the idea of what Clark's house must look like.  
"Laurel, time to go sweetheart." Martha said with a kind smile.  
Laurel went onto Jonathan's truck as it drove off when she turned to Clark.  
"Hey, why don't you come over to our meeting tonight?" Laurel asked. "And bring your parents. Jonathan's gonna tell some stories about Je-"  
"Laurel, are you crazy?!" Bruce said as he pulled Imra over to him. "Inviting a stranger to hear our stories? He and his parents could be spies for Luthor."  
"Bruce." Laurel countered calmly. "Clark's not a spy. He's our friend."  
Clark waved good-bye as the truck went back to Jonathan's farm.

That night, at Snyder's Mill, everyone Jonathan had told of the meeting arrived, making the secret sign of the fish to prove they were Christians. Once it was proven, Bruce would invite them in and get rid of the sign if it was made in any lasting way.  
As everyone was there, Jonathan cleared his throat.  
"Friends of Jesus, I want to thank you all for risking so much to come here." Jonathan said. "You know, some things never change. For example, when Jesus was teaching in Galilee, the Romans who occupied the city were so suspicious of gatherings; people had to leave the city to hear him speak. One day, Jesus and his disciples had gone across-"  
Jonathan stopped when there was a sudden knock on the door.  
Bruce walked over to the door and saw the kid from that evening.  
"You?" Bruce asked.  
"Is Laurel here?" Clark asked as Lois got up on Oliver's shoulders and peered through the hole.  
"Clark?" Laurel asked.  
"We can't let him in." Bruce protested. "He doesn't know the sign."  
At that, Clark juggled two bean bags in the air fast enough to make the shape of the sign.  
"Oh yeah?" Laurel asked. "Then what do you call that?"  
Laurel opened the door and let Clark in.  
"He could be leading Luthor's entire army right to our door!" Bruce protested.  
"Bruce, he's just a boy." Jonathan said patiently. "And he's as welcomed as anyone."  
"Where are your parents?" Laurel asked. "Couldn't they come?"  
"Oh!" Clark said as he thought. "They really wanted to, but they had a performance tonight for the Governor of Thanagar."  
"Oh." Laurel said, apparently accepting what Clark said, but Bruce thought that Clark's response took a little too much time to say."  
"Now where was I?" Jonathan wondered.  
"People in Galilee had to leave the city to hear him speak." Oliver said helpfully.  
"Oh yes." Jonathan said. "Thank you, Ollie. Now, Jesus and his disciples had gone across the lake to be alone, but when they came ashore, there was a great crowd waiting for him. It is said that there were five thousand people there.  
"'Lord,' Jesus' disciple, Simon-Peter, said. 'We should leave this place. We'll get no rest here.'  
"But Jesus felt sorry for them since they didn't have a leader.  
"'They are like sheep without a Sheppard.' Jesus pointed out.  
"So, he began to teach them. He told them God loves everyone. The good and the bad. The honest and the dishonest alike. He loves our enemies just as he loves our friends.  
"'Surely God doesn't love the Romans!' A man called out. You see what Jesus said was very brave as there were freedom fighters in the crowd who hated being ruled by the Romans.  
"'Love your enemies.' Jesus countered. 'Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who treat you badly. Do to others what you would have them do to you.'"  
"'Lord,' One of Jesus' Disciples said after awhile. 'This is a lonely spot, and it's getting late.'  
"'Send the crowds out to the farms and villages, so they can feed themselves.' Peter advised.  
"Instead, Jesus said, 'You feed them.'  
"'How?' Peter asked. 'It would cost a fortune to feed all these people.'  
"'How much food do you have?' Jesus asked. 'Go and see.'  
"They found a young boy who willingly offered his food, five loaves of bread and two fish but nothing else.  
"'All we have are these five barely loaves and two fish.' A disciple pointed out.  
"'Make the people sit down on the grass in groups.' Jesus advised, and they divided into groups of fifties and hundreds.  
"Then Jesus took the food and gave thanks. He broke the food into portions and gave it to his disciples to feed the people, and everyone had enough to eat.  
"'Gather up all that is left.' Jesus instructed his disciples. 'Let's not waste any.'  
"The disciples did so and filled up twelve baskets with what was left over."  
"Wow." The children said.  
"Jonathan," Thea asked. "What happened to the boy with the bread?"  
"No one really knows." Jonathan said. "For all we knew he grew up and became a baker."  
"Alright, that was an exce-"  
There was a sudden pounding on the door.  
"Open up in the name of Lionel Luthor!" A voice called out.  
"I told you that boy was trouble!" Bruce shouted. "Quick, you all know what to do!"  
Everyone hid in pots and Clark hid in a rolled up carpet as Bruce quickly began grabbing some straw and began using a stick to mix it in with a fresh coating of mud for just such an occasion when several men broke the door down as Slade Wilson, one of Luthor's top guards, stood there.  
"You there." Slade said. "Where are all the Christians hiding?"  
"Christians, sir?" Bruce asked with a laugh. "In here? I'll eat this mud if you find any Christians in here."  
Slade walked around and put his foot on the carpet as a small squeak came from it, and Slade undid the carpet to find Clark there as all the soldiers held blasters to Bruce as he tasted the mud.  
"You know, with a little salt, it wouldn't be all that bad." Bruce admitted.  
"Search this place!" Slade called out, and the soldiers found several of the Christians. Everyone made a run for it as Bruce used his heat packet to cause the mud to harden and boil until it shattered and sprayed all the guards as he rushed off as fast as he could.

Outside, Jonathan did a quick head count.  
"Oliver, Thea, Laurel, and Bruce." Jonathan said with a sigh as everyone smiled. "That's everyone. Thank God we're alright."  
They then heard a carriage roll off as they turned to see Clark stuck in a cage.  
"Clark!" Laurel called out as she rushed to him before being stopped by Bruce and Jonathan, causing Lois to weep as the two looked sadly at each other. Who knew what Lionel Luthor was going to do to the boy?

* * *

Well that's the first chapter. Please tell me what you think.


	2. Bravery and Faith

Chapter 2: Breakout Part 2: Bravery and Faith

At Lionel Luthor's mansion, Lionel prepared for an overview of the games tomorrow, inspired by the stories of Nero throwing the Christians of old to lions. He couldn't understand the logic in following a dead Jewish carpenter.  
_I'm that leader Lionel Luthor  
I'm the empire's true blue ruler.  
All these gods amount to rubber.  
Who would disagree?  
Though my singing's much to middling,  
I won't stop my fiddle-diddling.  
Earth can burn, I'll just keep fiddling.  
Glory be to me!  
I'll take the glory.  
Who'd disagree?  
So dictator-y.  
Glory be to me!  
Follow me. Don't be a whiner.  
Other leaders are so minor.  
Next to my line, none's diviner.  
In all modesty.  
Though some ingrates may abhor me,  
I insist all Earth adore me.  
Thou shallt have no gods before me.  
Glory be to me!  
I'm full of glory...  
And modesty!  
No guts, no glory!  
Glory be to me!  
Yes I'm cruel and mean indeed.  
I will tax you 'till you bleed!  
And this week, breathing is free.  
Christian tales, I don't enjoy,  
And those who tell them. I destroy!  
It's time they bowed to me...!  
I'm Mr. Glory...  
So glory be!  
I've got your story!  
Glory... Be to me...!  
_Lionel chuckled as he walked to a 3D model of the stadium as he smirked.  
"It's brilliant." Lionel said with a smirk. "At the games tomorrow, the lions, dogs, and gladiators will come in through the South Entrance."  
"Oh yes, Mr. Luthor." Lionel's aid, Dominic said oily. "It's brilliant!"  
"Hold your tongue" Lionel said plainly. "I'm not finished for then my champion, Bane, shall come in from the North Entrance, and finally, the Christians will come in from the East Entrance and meet their doom... That reminds me. Dominic, call Slade at once."  
"SLADE!" Dominic said as Slade walked in and knelt down.  
"Emperor Luthor." Slade said.  
"Slade, where are the Christians?" Lionel questioned.  
"They're being unloaded now, sir." Slade said. "We captured scores of them in last night's raid."  
"Excellent." Lionel said. "Then have the sandbags placed in front of their cell. Bane shall break their spirits first... And then their bodies."

In a cell he shared with several other Christians, Clark watched as a pale-skinned man in a completely black mask with an odd breathing apparatus made one swift kick at the sandbags, and they burst open, sand pouring out of them.  
"Oh man." Clark groaned.

Martha panted as she followed Laurel up the hill. When she and Jonathan had kids of their own, she hoped she was in better shape. Laurel had told Jonathan and Martha about Clark's parents and hoped they could help.  
"Laurel, you're sure this is where they live?" Martha asked.  
"Yup." Laurel said as she took Martha's hand and helped her up the steep climb. "He said just behind this villa, and he said one time..."  
Martha looked as Laurel' eyes widened with shock, and she saw that the villa had been ruined, obviously by a fire.

Back at the farm, Jonathan heard about Laurel and Martha's attempt to contact Clark's parents.  
"And the neighbors said he lost his parents in the fire!" Martha finished.  
"We're the only ones who can help him!" Laurel insisted, and Jonathan agreed. It was like his father said, do what you can to help people.  
"Help him?!" Bruce snapped. "That little circus brat's probably spilling his guts to the guards right now!"  
"Bruce, he was taken from one of our meetings." Jonathan said plainly. "That makes him our responsibility. Laurel' right. We've got to help him."

Jonathan drove up to the Metro-Dome where the games were played and brought out a large basket of produce and walked up to a guard.  
"State your business." The guard said.  
"Fruits and vegetables for the gladiators." Jonathan said as he pulled out a large juicy piece of melon. "And this for yourself."  
Inside the corridors, Jonathan turned to Bruce.  
"Bruce, you make a map of these corridors while we look for Clark." Jonathan said.  
"On it, Jonathan." Bruce said as he rushed off.  
Meanwhile, Jonathan went with everyone else down the stairs as the children shouted in shock when they saw a skeleton hanging from the wall.  
"What was that?!" Laurel called out.  
"A not so successful gladiator." Jonathan said calmly, though truth be told the skeleton had caught him off guard too.  
At that point, they heard singing.  
"Sounds like Clark isn't alone." Martha observed.  
"Halt!" A rotund man with black hair and a long nose called out. "Who goes there?!"  
"It's Jonathan Kent with stale fruits and vegetables for the prisoners." Jonathan said as he held up a water melon. "Too bad guards can't eat on duty."  
"Actually, it's just about time for my break." The rotund man said.  
"Oliver, take care of our friend while we feed the prisoners." Jonathan said with a smile.  
Jonathan then headed to the cell with everyone except Oliver and Thea.  
"Jonathan..." Jonathan's friend Ben said weakly. "Martha..."  
"Shh!" Jonathan said quickly. "Ben, what are you doing here?"  
"We were all rounded up in last night's raid." Ben explained.  
"Back away you scavengers!" Jonathan called out in the direction of the guards' break room. "That's all the crumbs you get!"  
Jonathan then turned to Ben and whispered, "Don't worry. There's enough food for all of you."  
"Laurel!" Clark called out in a whisper.  
"Clark, are you okay?" Laurel asked.  
"Yeah, but tomorrow, they're going to throw us to some guy named Bane." Clark said urgently.  
"Don't panic." Jonathan said. "We'll have you out before then. Just have courage."  
"Courage?!" Clark whispered. "Have you seen the size of this guy?!"  
"Size has nothing to do with courage, Clark." Jonathan explained.  
"Right." Martha said kindly. "Remember David and Goliath? And Zachius?"  
"Who?" Clark asked.  
"Zachius." Martha said. "He wasn't much taller than you, but he had a lot of courage. You see the people where Jesus lived hated Zachius because he collected taxes for the Romans. Because he was so short, he liked to look down on everybody. He was also very rich and powerful, but what people most disliked was that Zachius was a cheat. But for all of his wealth, he had no friends and was alone.  
"Now Zachius had heard a lot about Jesus, and really wanted to see him, so he left the house while Jesus was teaching only a few feet away, but Zachius couldn't get a good look at Jesus through the crowd as he was so short. Unfazed, Zachius climbed up a tree to take a look at Jesus when Jesus looked up at him.  
"'Zachius!' Jesus called out. 'Hurry and climb down for today I must stay in your house.'  
"The people complained, calling Zachius a traitor and a thief for all the money he cheated even the Ceaser of Rome out of. Hearing these things, Zachius turned to Jesus.  
"Lord,' Zachius said. 'I will give half of all I own to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times as much.'  
"Zachius did so, and as he watched, Jesus said, 'Truly, God's forgiveness has come to this house today.'  
"You see? It took a lot of courage for Zachius to be honest. You know what I mean?"  
Jonathan smiled. Martha was a naturally born storyteller and Story Keeper.

In the dungeons, Thea hid under the table while Oliver handed the rotund man, Oswald Cobblepot, several fruits and vegetables.  
"Uh... Mr. Cobblepot, party of one?" Oliver asked.  
While Mr. Cobblepot ate the food, Thea snuck out from under the table, took some dough, and imprinted the key to the Christians' cell on the dough as he walked out quietly.

It took an hour to double check escape routes in case of any problems; Bruce finished up his map and smiled.  
"Perfect." Bruce said when he ran into the guard at the door.  
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" The guard asked.  
"Uh... Me?" Bruce asked. "I'm... With the volunteers for arena improvement."  
"Alright, carry on." The guard said as he walked off.  
"I think getting Christians out of here would be a definite improvement." Bruce said to himself as he went off.

Once the prisoners had finished their food, Jonathan smiled and shook Ben's hand.  
"Now get some rest." Jonathan advised. "We'll be back for you all in the morning."  
"Laurel," Clark said. "Thanks."  
"It's okay, Clark." Laurel said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
Laurel then walked off as Clark gulped. He wasn't brave. He couldn't even tell his new best friend that he and his parents got separated in the Great Fire, and he wasn't sure where they were or if they were even alive. He sighed. Maybe he could pray for courage.

* * *

Poor Bruce.


	3. Bane

Chapter Three: Breakout Part 3: Bane

At the farm, Jonathan took out the freshly baked piece of dough shaped like the key.  
"It's perfect." Jonathan said as he held the key and gently tapped it on the counter as it made a clacking noise. "Martha's special recipe for Roman Army biscuits is still as hard as ever."  
"Good work, Thea." Martha said with a smile.  
"Thanks." Oliver said as everyone stared at him. "Well... I supervised her."  
"Great." Bruce said as he studied the map he made. "Once we open the cell, it's just thirty paces to the left, then down the corridor to the right, and we're home free,"

That night, everyone put on their pajamas as Thea held onto her tiger, Tigger. She was worried. She didn't want to lose her new family only a few weeks after losing her parents.  
"Jonathan, what if Bane gets us?" Thea asked.  
"Oh, you take away his brute strength, killer instinct, and strategic mind, and what do you have left?" Bruce asked.  
"Me?" Thea asked uncertainly.  
"Thea, Bane may be powerful, but we have Jesus on our side." Marta said as she tucked Conner in.  
"Is Jesus stronger than Bane?" Thea asked. She'd only just started to learn about Jesus.  
"Of course he is." Jonathan said with a smile. "Bane may be able to hurt people, but he doesn't have the power to heal them. You know, there was once a man named Jairus whose daughter was very sick. When Jesus came to the village, he rushed over to him and said, 'My little girl is dying. Please come and heal her, so she will live.'  
"Jesus asked Jairus to lead the way when a servant of his walked up and sadly told Jairus, 'Sir, your daughter has died.'  
"At this, Jairus wept.  
"Jesus picked Jairus up and said calmly, 'Don't be afraid. Trust me.'  
"Jairus then led Jesus to his house where the women of the household wept over the girl's body.  
"'What's all this noise?' Jesus asked. 'This man's little girl isn't dead. She's just asleep.'  
"But Jesus sent all but the girl's parents away as he knelt down in front of her and took her hand as he asked, 'Little girl, awake.'  
"At once, the girl awoke and was helped to her feet by Jesus.  
"'Now give her something to eat.' Jesus said simply as the little girl hugged her parents with joy, and he told them not to say anything of these events to anyone, but it's hard to keep such a thing secret, isn't it?"  
"Yeah." Thea said.  
"Alright now," Martha said simply. "Off to sleep Thea. I'm sure your brother and Laurel are already sleeping."  
"If they're not, could you tell them that story too?" Thea asked.  
"Of course." Jonathan said with a kind smile.  
Jonathan, Martha, and Bruce then left Thea's room and shut the lights.

In their small cell, the Christians sang a small hymn as a guard clanged at the bars with his sword to silence them.  
"That's real pretty." The guard said with a smirk. "But you'll be singing a different tune tomorrow when you face Bane."  
Clark gulped. He hoped Jonathan and the others would arrive soon.

The day after his planning, Lionel sat in his own personal booth with a smirk as Bane defeated several gladiators without even requiring his full might, and the crowd was cheering.  
"If they love this, they're going to love what he does to the Christians." Lionel said to Dominic with a smirk.

Outside the coliseum, Oliver was grumbling. The first really exciting thing to do since the fire, and he was stuck near the truck.  
"Why am I always stuck with baby-sitting duty?" Oliver asked moodily. "I should be inside helping Jonathan and Bruce."  
"Then I guess that means I could drive the get-away truck." Laurel said with a smirk.  
"Now that you mention it, maybe it's better I'm here." Oliver said nervously. Laurel still had trouble with her bicycle.

Inside the coliseum, Jonathan rolled a barrel up to Cobblepot.  
"Jonathan!" Oswald called out.  
"Oswald." Jonathan said with a smile in his voice. "The gladiators weren't very hungry today. I'm afraid I'm stuck with all this left over produce."  
While Oswald began getting busy with the produce, Bruce rushed off to the cells to free Clark and the others. He was wearing sunglasses and a black hoodie and matching pants to hide his identity. He'd mastered the escape route and one or two off-shots just in case of an emergency.

Bane continued to pummel the gladiators as Lionel stood up.  
"Enough warm ups Dominic." Lionel said plainly. "Where are those weeping frightened Christians? We need drama. We need tragedy. We need a body count."  
"Bring out the Christians!" Dominic called out.

"The gate's opening!" Ben called out as Oliver quickly unlocked the door with the key Jonathan and Thea had made. Bruce then lifted the door open.  
"Follow me!" Oliver said, and they all rushed off.

"Did I mention I love apples?" Oswald said as he stuffed his face with various apples Jonathan had brought as he quickly waved Bruce and the others through.  
"Bring on the Christians!" A voice called out.  
"Well, looks like break time's over." Oswald said with a sigh as he walked to the holding cell and quickly ran back out screaming, "THE PRISONERS ARE GONE!"  
"The prisoners are gone!" Jonathan repeated as he pointed all the guards that came to the call in the opposite direction Clark, Bruce, Ben, and all the other Christians had gone.

Bruce rushed off with the others, leading the way as they made it to the hallway where they could escape into the crowds.  
"Come on, the exit's just ahead!" Bruce called out. Unfortunately, they were blocked by a soldier who had his back to them. Now what? Bruce hadn't planned on any barriers right at the exit, and he couldn't remember where the other closest exit was.  
"I think we should go this way." Clark said as he pointed behind him.  
"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Bruce snapped. He'd had it with that little troublemaker. "I say we go this way!"  
Bruce then led the others to a large open gate.  
"See guys?" Bruce said with a smirk. "We're almost there."  
They rushed outside as they arrived at the large coliseum.  
"At last!" Lionel's voice rang out from the stands. "Christians."  
"Okay, maybe we should have gone your way." Bruce admitted as his way of an apology for everything. In the end, it was Bruce that had gotten them into this mess, but luckily, Bruce was proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and he was sure he could beat Bane, and allow the others to escape for a second chance at freedom.

Jonathan heard the call and looked out the window to see Clark, Bruce, and the other prisoners standing in front of Bane.  
"Oh no." Jonathan groaned.

Bruce smirked as Bane walked up.  
"You don't look so tough." Bruce taunted.  
"There is more to me than meets the eye, little Christian." Bane said as he showed the back of his hand which had a yellow dial on it. Bane turned the dial as yellow glowing tubes appeared, and Bane bulged until he was twice as tall as anyone Bruce had ever met and fifty times as muscular.  
"That's impressive." Bruce admitted.  
"I will break you." Bane said calmly.

Outside, Oliver, Laurel, and Thea heard a roar from the stadium that didn't sound like a human's or a lion's.  
"You guys wait here." Oliver said as he rushed off. "I'll see what's going on."  
Oliver rushed up to see a large man with burning green eyes walk up to Clark, Bruce, and the prisoners.  
"Everyone, stay calm!" Bruce called out. "I've got everything under control!"  
Bane made a swing at Bruce that he dodged.  
"Okay Tiny, let's see what you've got." Bruce said as Bane smacked Bruce into a wall as Oliver flinched. Just then, Oliver saw Clark juggling a shield and a helmet.  
"Alright, step right up." Clark said. "The show's about to begin. I'll need a volunteer though. You sir!"  
"Hm?" Bane asked as he turned to Clark.  
"Would you like me to juggle the helmet and bounce the shield or juggle the shield and bounce the helmet?" Clark asked as the helmet hit Bane in the head, and the shield slammed into Bane's foot, causing him to groan.  
Oliver then noticed everyone else escape through a small hole as he thought he heard Jonathan's voice say, "Ben, this way."  
Oliver knew he had to do something. Thea, Clark, and Bruce had their moments, and now it was his turn. He jumped down in front of Bane as Bruce apparently recovered and walked up.  
"Let me at him." Bruce said with only a hint of fear and a lot of grogginess. "I'll tear him to bits."  
"Actually, I've got a better idea." Oliver said as he picked up a fallen gladiator's bow and arrow and fired it at Bane, severing his tube as green liquid spilled out, while Bane returned to normal.  
"They're good." Lionel said to himself but still loud enough for them to hear. "They're very good."  
Bruce then picked the two boys up and rushed to the gate Jonathan was covertly keeping open with a crate.  
"WHY'S THE SEWER GATE NOT CLOSING?!" Lionel called out.  
Bruce rushed to the gate as Bane charged after them, just barely making it through before Bane as Jonathan let go of the gate and tapped Bane on the head with the crate to knock him out as they all heard Lionel call out, "FOR THE LOVE OF MY WIFE, WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE KILL SOMEBODY?!"

"Thea, another helping?" Martha asked. Everyone was at the Kent Farm and having supper after the exciting day they'd all had.  
"No thank you." Thea said with a smile. "Or I'll be as fat as Mr. Cobblepot."  
"Thanks for dinner, Martha." Clark said. "It was great, and thanks to all of you for saving me."  
"Oh, it was nothing." Laurel said with a smile.  
"That's easy for you to say." Oliver said with a smirk.  
Clark then figured he should head out before anyone offered to take him home.  
"Well..." Clark gulped. "I better get going. My parents will wonder where I am."  
"Oliver, Thea, could you two please help me with the dishes?" Martha asked.  
"Why?" Thea asked.  
"I'll explain once we're helping Martha, Thea." Oliver said as he gently took Thea to the sink.  
"Clark, we know about your parents." Laurel said plainly.  
"You do?" Clark asked.  
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Laurel asked.  
"I guess I was just ashamed." Clark said. He now felt pretty brave admitting he was an orphan, but right now, he'd rather face Bane again. "You know, of being an orphan."  
"But I'm an orphan." Laurel said plainly. "So are Oliver and Thea."  
"You are?" Clark asked. He just assumed that Jonathan and Martha were babysitting for the three of them.  
"Yeah." Laurel said. "Jonathan and Martha took all of us in after the fire."  
"And you'd be welcome to stay with us too until we find your parents." Jonathan said with a smile.  
"You mean you'd want me to stay with you?" Clark asked.  
"Of course." Jonathan said as Bruce walked up and held out his hand with a smile.  
"Welcome to the family, kid." Bruce said as he shook Bruce's hand. "Now, there's something I just finished I want to show you."  
"Come on, Clark!" Laurel said excitedly. "We have something to show you."  
Clark was then taken to a room with a bunk bed.  
"Well Clark, what do you think?" Bruce asked.  
"It's for me?" Clark asked in awe.  
"Unless you want the lower bunk, Roomy." Oliver said with a smile as Clark lept onto the top bunk with ease. "No thanks. This suits me just fine."  
Everyone then smiled and began talking with their new friend, Clark Kent.

* * *

And so ends the first adventure of the Story Keepers. Next chapter, Raging Waters.


	4. Bad News and Good News

Chapter 4: Raging Waters Part 1: Bad News and Good News

A week after saving Clark and the others from Bane, Clark was performing his acrobatics in his old circus uniform, a blue shirt and pants, and red boots with a stylized red S on the chest.  
"Awesome!" Oliver called out. "What's the S for?"  
"My mom says it means bravery." Clark said.  
"Well you'd have to be brave to dress like that." Oliver said.  
"Shut up." Clark said defensively.  
"This is great, having you here, Clark." Laurel said with a smile.  
"It's like having another brother." Thea said with a smile.  
"I wonder what could be keeping Bruce." Martha asked as she looked out the window.  
"That kid's always running late." Jonathan reassured Martha.  
Martha was still worried. Bruce was like a son to her.  
"I know, but with so many guards patrolling the streets these days-" Martha began before Jonathan stopped her.  
"Martha, you worry too much." Jonathan said with a smile. "Bruce's just fine. I'm sure of it."

Bruce was in trouble.  
He had been out when several guards from the raid last week recognized him, and he rushed off, knowing Jonathan wouldn't approve of him fighting the guards when there was some other way.  
"Alright, you want me?!" Bruce called out. "Come and get me!"  
The soldiers continued after him.  
"I knew that wouldn't work." Bruce groaned as he rushed off. It wasn't long before he found a donkey and got on its back while he used a discarded sword to sever the rope holding it to a ring on the wall, and it rushed off with Bruce only barely able to hang on. The donkey eventually kicked Bruce off into a horse troth.  
"I needed a bath anyway." Bruce said with a smile as he held his breath and sunk under the water as guards rushed passed. Once they were gone, Bruce rushed back to the farm as quickly as he could.

Bruce arrived at the farm and quickly locked the door.  
"Jonathan!" Bruce called out. "Jonathan! The soldiers have captured the Story Teller for Metropolis!"  
"I know." Jonathan said calmly. "I know. Try this roll Martha made."  
"A roll?!" Bruce asked as Oliver handed him a roll he was holding. "Jonathan, Christians from all over are coming to Metropolis tonight, and there's no one to tell the story! You have to go to Metropolis!" Bruce called out.  
"I wish I could, Bruce, but there's a meeting here tonight." Jonathan explained.  
"Jonathan's going to tell the story of John the Baptist." Martha said as the other kids tried rolls, and they were all good, prompting Bruce to try one. It tasted pretty good.  
"John the who?" Clark asked.  
"John the Baptist." Jonathan repeated. "He was the cousin of Jesus, and he lived in the dessert, near the Jordan River. He ate honey and locusts to stay alive."  
"Honey flavored insects?" Laurel asked as she put the roll down, losing her appetite.  
"Yuck." Thea said as he stuck his tongue out.  
"Shh!" Oliver said.  
"How can Jonathan tell a story at a time like this?" Bruce asked. The kids would hear the story later that night, right now they needed a story for Metropolis.  
"Be patient, Bruce." Martha said calmly. "Jonathan knows what he's doing."  
"You see, John was a great prophet," Jonathan continued. "And when he came out of the dessert, he did not like what he saw. He began to tell the people to change their ways. Not to steal and not to cheat.  
"'If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.' John would say, as well as, 'If you have food, share that too.'  
"People everywhere were talking about this strange man. He would ask people to be baptized, shortly put their whole bodies under water and come back out, as a sign they wanted to change their ways, which was why he was called John the Baptist.  
"'I baptize you with water.' John would say. 'But the man who follows me will be greater than I am. I am not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'  
"And sure enough, not long after John appeared near Jordan, Jesus left his home in Nazareth and went to join the crowds at the river bank. John was nervous. He knew he wasn't worthy to baptize Jesus, but Jesus smiled at him, and John knew it was alright. He baptized Jesus, and just then something wonderful happened.  
"A light shone down on Jesus as the voice of God said, 'You are my beloved son. With you, I am pleased.'  
"After that, Jesus went to the dessert for forty days and nights, but I'll tell you about that some other time."  
"Look Jonathan," Bruce said as he did enjoy the story, but they were running out of time. "That was great, but what about Metropolis? They aren't going to have a story tonight unless we do something."  
"Exactly." Jonathan said with a smile. "Ollie?"  
Oliver took out a scroll and handed it to Jonathan.  
"What's that?" Bruce asked.  
"It's a story for the Christians in Metropolis." Oliver said with a smile.  
"And you're going to give it to them." Jonathan said with a kind smile.  
"That's a great idea!" Bruce called out. He knew Jonathan wouldn't let him down. "There's only one problem. Getting to Metropolis. The roads are practically paved with guards."  
"There must be some way to get through." Martha insisted as Jonathan took a long piece of bread and stuffed the scroll inside of it.  
"We know a way." Laurel said with a mischievous look on all of the kids' faces that Bruce didn't like.

* * *

I'll give you five guesses what the kids' way is.


	5. The Story for Metropolis

Chapter 5: Raging Waters Part 2: The Story for Metropolis

Each city on Earth possessed an aqueduct system similar to Ancient Rome as a means of easily having access to free water, one of the only good choices Lionel had made.  
Laurel's way of getting to Metropolis was taking the Smallville aqueduct to the adjacent Metropolis aqueduct.  
"Captain Clark to the rescue!" Clark called out.  
"I wanna be captain!" Oliver complained.  
"Me too!" Thea called out happily.  
"They'll be okay, won't they?" Martha asked Jonathan as they watched the children and Bruce head off.  
"Of course." Jonathan said with a kind smile. "When I was a kid, we did it all the time."

Back on the aqueduct, Bruce jokingly bopped Oliver in the head with the bread that hid the Metropolis story.  
"Stop with the splashing." Bruce said with a smile. "I've already had one bath today, and I'm not taking another."  
"Oh yeah?" Laurel smirked as they reached the end of the aqueduct, which turned out to be a foot away from the Metropolis aqueduct, and they all fell to the pool at the bottom as a guard was investigating a grate.  
"That's three fish, seven rocks, one sandal-" The guard said as the kids splashed down. "And approximately 356 pounds of assorted children."  
The guard helped the kids out as he said cockily, "No, no, this won't do at all. Children playing in the aqueduct. As aqueduct inspector, I'm afraid it's my duty to give you all a citation."  
"Yes sir." Bruce said quickly as he took the new citation, not wanting to cause a ruckus when they had more important places to be. "Won't happen again, sir."  
Bruce then turned to the kids and whispered, "Let's get out of here."  
As Bruce turned, he bumped into a bald man slightly older than himself with black armor and blue eyes.  
"A bit old to be playing in the aqueduct, aren't you, friend?" The man asked.  
"Who me?" Bruce asked nervously. "We were uh..."  
"We're not playing." Laurel said quickly. This kid was fast on her feet. "We're junior Star City water scouts, and he's our troop leader."  
Clark, Oliver, and Thea quickly followed suit and raised their hands.  
"I am?" Bruce asked before quickly accepting the story. "I mean, I am!"  
"Uh-huh." The man said. "What's that you've got behind your back?"  
"Bread!" Cobblepot said as Bruce just noticed him. Cobblepot was sure to taste it if he let him, and Bruce knew their cover would be blown big time if that happened. "I'll take some of that."  
"No!" Bruce said quickly as he pulled the bread away before Cobblepot took it and bit into it, revealing the scroll as Cobblepot rubbed his face.  
"Wow. This bread's kinda stale." Cobblepot said as the man took the scroll out and looked at it.  
"So you're one of those Christians." The man said. "I've never met one in person."  
Bruce then rushed forward and grabbed the scroll.  
"Halt!" The man called out.  
"You'll never take me alive!" Bruce called out when several guards held several lasers to him. "Of course if you want to take me alive, we could work it that way too."  
"Take him to the Imperial Palace in Metropolis." The man said. "My godfather will want to interrogate him."  
"Of course he will." Cobblepot said plainly. "Just before he feeds him to the lions."

At the farm, Laurel and Thea had rushed in and told Jonathan and Marta about Bruce being taken by the guards.  
"And I think they took him to the palace." Laurel said urgently. "Then Clark and Oliver went after him."  
"Oh this is terrible!" Jonathan called out. "We've gotta cook up a way of getting Bruce out of the palace!"  
Jonathan's use of the word "cook" suddenly caused something to snap in Martha's mind.  
"Cook up a way." Martha said with a smile. "That's it!"  
"Huh?" Jonathan asked.  
"Don't just stand there!" Martha said as she quickly tossed aprons to Jonathan, Laurel, and Thea. "We've got a lot of baking to do!"  
"Martha, what does baking have to do with rescuing Oliver?" Jonathan asked.  
"Don't you remember?" Martha asked. "Lionel Luthor's famous for his sweet tooth!"  
"Of course!" Jonathan called out. "Come on everyone. You heard Martha. We've got a lot of baking to do."  
"But what will we bake?" Laurel asked. Jonathan and Martha were farmers, so she had a limited idea of what the two could make that would help get Bruce out of prison.  
"A feast for a king, my dear." Jonathan said with a smile as he took out some dough and flour. "A feast for a king."

At Lionel's Metropolis palace, which he spent most of his time in, Dominic announced him to several senators.  
"Live from Lionel's palace, it's the incredible, Lionel Lucas Luthor!" Dominic called out as Lionel walked out.  
"Welcome to this meeting." Lionel said. "I have called you here for a rare treat. Dominic, call Tommy Merlyn."  
"Merlyn!" Dominic called out as Lionel's son and favorite soldier, Tommy Merlyn, walked out holding Bruce.  
"That's my boy!" Tommy's father Malcolm, the governor of Star City called out.  
"Now Tommy, how did you capture this young man?" Lionel asked.  
"We found this Christian near the aqueduct, Lionel." Tommy said simply. "He was carrying this scroll."  
"You know Christian; I never understood the logic in you people throwing away your lives for the sake of a Jewish carpenter who died 2,000 years ago." Lionel said plainly, which only made Bruce angry.  
"He's not dead!" Bruce called out. "And all over the world, billions like me wait for the day he will return and your empire will end."  
"You are in for a long wait." Lionel said with a sneer. "Tommy, what's on the scroll?"  
"Some kind of story, sir." Tommy said. "About this Jesus of theirs."  
"Well that should be entertaining." Lionel said. "Read us your little story, Christian. Who knows? Perhaps you'll convert us all."  
Everyone laughed, and Bruce could feel the anger boiling inside of him like Laurel's attempt of spaghetti a few weeks ago.  
"You heard him." Tommy said plainly. "Read."  
"You don't wanna hear the story!" Bruce shouted out. "You just want to make fun of it! I will not dishonor my lord for your entertainment."  
"I am your lord, Christian!" Lionel shouted, as angry as Bruce. "Read the story, I command you!"  
"I'd rather die!" Bruce shouted back.  
"As you wish." Lionel said with a smirk. "But first I must find out what you're dying for. Tommy, what does it say?"  
"It starts with Jesus and his disciples at the sea of Galilee, Father." Lex said as he unrolled the scroll.  
"Well go on and read it." Lionel said.  
"'That evening, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Come, let's cross over to the other side."'" Tommy began. "'During the voyage, Jesus rested on the floor of the boat, but before long, a furious storm came up, and terrible waves began to break over the bow of the disciples' boat, filling it with water.  
"'"Master!" One of the disciples called out. "Please wake up! Don't you care if we drown?"  
"'Jesus awoke and went to the edge of the boat as he turned to the disciples and said, "Silence." Before he turned to the sea and shouted, "Be quiet!" And upon his command, the wind died down until the sea was completely calm.  
"'Jesus then turned to his disciples and asked, "Why were you frightened? Do you still not trust me?"  
"'And they turned to one another and said, "What sort of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"  
Tommy stopped reading and starred inquisitively at Bruce along with everyone else in the room. Bruce starred back at Tommy and was surprised to see a spark in the center of his blue eyes.  
"Well what are you all staring at?" Lionel asked, obviously unmoved. "I never heard such a ridiculous, story in my entire life. It's completely absurd!"  
"Oh yes, Lionel." Dominic said oily. "Absolutely absurd. No doubt about it. In fact, I'd have to say on a scale from one to-"  
"Shut up, Dominic!" Lionel snapped.  
"Yes sir." Domini said timidly.  
"DESTROY THE SCROLL AT ONCE!" Lionel shouted.  
"Yes sir." Tommy said calmly.  
"And as for this wretch, I want him thrown to the lions at the games tomorrow." Lionel said as he starred at Bruce. "He shall be an example to the entire planet of how we deal with Christians!"  
Lionel laughed maniacally as Bruce was carried away.


	6. Escape

Chapter Six: Raging Waters Part 3: Escape

A few feet outside of the palace, Jonathan, Martha, Laurel, and Thea waited patiently in Viking gear as a long line of soldiers marched past them.  
"We could be here for hours." Lois groaned.  
"I hate the thought of Bruce held prisoner by that madman, Luthor." Martha sighed.  
"Why's Mr. Luthor mad at Bruce, Jonathan?" Thea asked. As far as he knew, Bruce hadn't done anything to Lionel.  
"Well, he's not that kind of mad, Thea." Jonathan said calmly.  
"What kind of mad is he?" Thea asked.  
"Well, he's like that man Jesus met in Garassa." Jonathan explained.  
"Who was he?" Laurel asked.  
"Well you see," Jonathan began. "One day, Jesus and his disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee to a place called Garassa where there lived a wild man. He slept in a cave, and the local villagers were terrified of him. Shortly after Jesus and the disciples arrived, the wild man appeared before him.  
"'What do you want with me, Jesus?' The wild man asked. 'Son of the most high god!'  
"'Come out of this man, evil spirit!' Jesus called out.  
"'For god's sake, don't torment me!' The wild man called out.  
"'What is your name?' Jesus asked.  
"'I am Legion!' The wild man called out. 'We are as numerous as the Roman Army!'  
"Legion begged Jesus not to send him away, asking, 'Send us among the pigs. Let us go into them!'  
"As loving to his enemies as his friends, Jesus did as Legion asked and sent him into a group of nearby pigs as they oinked angrily and rushed away. When the villagers came to see what had happened, they came to see for themselves. They were astonished to see the wild man now fully clothed and in his right mind. They became frightened and begged Jesus to leave the area. As Jesus and the others were about to sail away, the man appeared and begged Jesus to let him go with them.  
"However, Jesus said, 'Go home to your friends and family. Tell them what God has done for you.'  
"Jesus sailed away, and the man did as he was asked.  
"I like the Legion Story, Jonathan." Thea said with a happy smile. He liked how Jesus was even nice to the bad people. "Is that the end?"  
"That's the end." Jonathan said with a smile.  
"Yeah?" Laurel asked. "Well this legion goes on forever."  
"I don't know about that." Jonathan said with a smile as one of the soldiers tripped and stopped the line, allowing the gang to head off.  
"Look, we can cross." Laurel said in awe.  
"Alright everybody." Jonathan said as he pushed a cart full of food they'd all made forward.  
"We made it!" Thea called out excitedly. "We made it!"  
"I think it's a little early for a celebration." Jonathan said plainly as he put on a Viking's helmet and a fake moustache. "Get your disguises on everybody. The tough part of our mission is just beginning."  
Thea, along with everyone else, hoped this plan would work.

At the palace, Lionel was sitting there with Dominic gathering reports from his guards and senators when he heard something.  
"Hail Luthor!" A man with brown hair, a moustache, and an odd Viking outfit said with a thick French accent. He was also joined by a woman and a young girl and boy in similar outfits. "I am Pierre, a famous baker from Gall, and this is my family. We have brought pastries for the Emperor."  
"Pastries, you say?" Lionel asked. He had always had a sweet tooth.  
"Oui." Pierre said. "In honor of... Uh... The twenty-first birthday of Luthor's uncle's third cousin on his mother's side, twice removed. We have prepared a selection of our finest culinary treats."  
"Third cousin on my mother's side...?" Lionel wondered. He'd never bothered studying his family aside from his son, Lex, so some of his family tree was harder to recall.  
"Oui." Pierre said. "Now if your majesty pleases, I will describe for him the pastries. These are our fruit filled pastries."  
Lionel smiled as he held up one and tasted it. The pastry was excellent.

Oliver poked his head out of a hollow statue of a Kryptonian holding an urn of water. The statue was connected to the sewers.  
"Clark, Jonathan's here." Oliver said as Clark poked out his head to see.  
"Look at that outfit!" Clark laughed, and Oliver had to admit Bruce was right in Jonathan's odd Viking get-up. Just then, the statue began wobbling.  
"Hey, this thing's lose!" Oliver called out in a whisper. That could be useful for later.

In his cell, Bruce drew the sign of the fish on the ground before he heard a door creek open and quickly rubbed it away. The door opened as Tommy stood there.  
"What do you want?" Bruce asked. "I guess you're here to torture me. Well go ahead! I'm not afraid of you!"  
Bruce noticed a jar in Tommy's hand.  
"What's that?" Bruce asked. "Poison?"  
"It's water." Tommy said plainly. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't bother with poison,"  
"I see your point." Bruce said as he took the water and drank. Something about Tommy was beginning to grow on Bruce. Maybe because he was nicer than most of Luthor's other guards.

"And these are our famous cream filled pastries." Pierre went on as Lionel tried one and smiled.  
"Mmm..." Lionel said. "Delicious."  
"And lastly, the crème de la crème." Pierre said as he held up a pastry. "I'd advise against eating this pastry. It is special. It is my world famous Secret Poison Torture Pastry. One bite and..."  
Pierre made a slitting motion with his throat.  
"How delightful." Lionel said as he smirked even wider. "I must have a demonstration."  
"It's a pity you don't have any of those loathsome Christians around." Pierre said with a sigh. "They make especially good Torture Pastry victims."  
"You don't say?" Lionel said as he thought of the Christian they'd just captured. "Guard, fetch me the Christian prisoner at once!"  
The men did so.

In Bruce's cell, Tommy and Bruce continued to talk.  
"You know, you don't have to die." Tommy said helpfully. "I've seen Lionel pardon people like you before."  
"Sure." Bruce said with a scoff. He'd heard about those traitors. "If they deny Jesus."  
"You don't have to deny a thing." Tommy insisted sympathetically. "You just have to accept that Lionel Luthor is also a god."  
"Then I guess I have to die." Bruce said with conviction. He'd never abandon his believes just to save his own skin.  
"Who is this Jesus that inspires such crazy loyalty in his followers?" Tommy asked. "I would have liked to have met such a man."  
"You still can." Bruce encouraged Lex.  
"That's impossible." Tommy said. "He's dead. How can I-"  
"Shh!" Bruce said quickly as he heard two approaching soldiers.  
"Luthor demands to see the prisoner at once." The guard said as he opened the door.  
At that, Bruce was dragged into the throne room again as Lionel stood there.  
"Welcome back Christian." Lionel said plainly. "I didn't want to send you to the lions on an empty stomach, and my baker friend here has a pastry that's to die for."  
Bruce quickly observed Lionel's smirk and knew something was up. The baker then walked up to Bruce, and he quickly recognized him as Jonathan.  
"Jonathan?" Bruce asked in a whisper. "What are you doing here?"  
"Don't worry." Jonathan whispered back. "Everything's under control. Just follow my lead." Jonathan's voice then shifted into a French accent. "And now Christian Wretch, eat this Poison Torture Pastry, so we can all watch you go into convulsions and collapse dead on the floor!"  
"No, I won't!" Bruce said. The guards then held Bruce's arms up as Jonathan shoved the pastry into his mouth. He could tell that the pastry was made bad on purpose to help the act.  
"Everything's getting dark..." Bruce gasped after swallowing the pastry. "I'm so cold! Good-bye, cruel world!"  
Bruce then let himself drop to the floor, coughing and sputtering. After his performance, Bruce hardly daring to breathe.  
"Did you see his tortured expression?!" Lionel asked with dark glee. "Did you hear his agonized gasps? It was wonderful. I'll take six dozen of those pastries for the next Governor's ball."  
"Of course, Luthor." Jonathan said. "And now for no extra charge, we will remove the body from your imperial sight."  
"Thank you." Lionel said. "It's quite refreshing for someone to take the rubbish out without being asked."  
As Bruce felt his body be put onto the wagon, he could smell the pastries, and the smoke tickled his nose, and Bruce ended up sneezing.  
"Gazuntite." Cobblepot said as if nothing had happened.  
"Thank you." Bruce said since the guards had already blocked off the exit.  
"I suspected a trick." Lionel said as his smirk widened. "Arrest them. Poison Torture Pastries indeed? Did you really think you could fool Lionel Luthor? Throw them to the lions at once!"

As the guards pursued the gang, who were zigzagging everywhere, Clark and Oliver remained where they were.  
"We've gotta help them!" Oliver said quickly.  
"How?" Clark asked.  
"Help me topple this statue over." Oliver said as they both shook around inside the hollow statue.  
"This is crazy!" Clark called out.  
"Stop complaining and start shaking!" Oliver countered.

As the guards cornered the group, Bruce and Jonathan each took a shield and knocked the guards down as they tossed the shields at them, knocking enough guards out to clear a path.  
Laurel, Thea, and Martha assisted them by tossing the left over pastries at all of them. Unfortunately, they still ended up cornered in the end near a large marble statue of a woman holding a pot of water.  
"Bravo." Lionel said darkly as he walked through the crowd. "Bravos. Bravisimo. I can only hope you'll perform as well in the lion pits."  
Just then, the statue began to tip over.  
"Look out!" A soldier called as the statue collapsed onto the ground while everyone else fled the area.  
"My statue!" Lionel called out in alarm. "My beautiful statue."  
"Jonathan!" Oliver whispered from where the statue had fallen, and the gang turned to see Clark and Oliver inside a small square hole. "Over here!"  
The smoke provided an excellent cover as the gang went in one person at a time with Bruce going last when Tommy approached Bruce with the scroll. After a moment, Tommy handed Oliver the scroll.  
"Here." Tommy said. "Now hurry, before I change my mind."  
Bruce smiled. Maybe there was some hope for people like Tommy Merlyn after all.  
"They're getting away!" Lionel called out, obviously noticing their shadowy shapes in the smoke. "AFTER THEM!"  
They made it to the river where a barrel waited for them just as several guards followed.  
"Jonathan, catch!" Bruce called out as he tossed the scroll to Jonathan before diving in himself.  
"Alright, let's get out of here!" Jonathan called out.  
They rushed down the aqueduct on their barrel as Bruce held a chain up to stop one set of guards from following them on a barrel before catching up with the others.  
When a second group of soldiers grabbed onto a cape Jonathan had worn for his disguise, Thea caused him to lose their grip on him by tossing her helmet at them, which also shocked them into smashing into the side of the aqueduct, ruining their chance to pursue.  
As the last group of soldiers closed in on the gang, they were saved by pure luck. While they passed by the aqueduct inspector, the inspector's aid put in a new filter, completely missing the gang, and the guards were caught in the filter.  
"I do say." The inspector said. "I should have thought you chaps would know better."

In the Metropolis end of an aqueduct, two Christians, Wally West and his girlfriend Linda Park, nervously waited by the aqueduct.  
"Bruce Wayne was supposed to be here hours ago." Wally pointed out with a groan. "We better go tell the others."  
"But what are we going to tell them?" Linda asked. "Those people risked their lives to be here tonight."  
"I know that." Wally said. "But what can we do? We don't have a story."  
"I... I guess you're right." Linda said with a sigh before she stopped. "Wait, look up there."

The gang passed by the rendezvous point.  
"There they are!" Bruce called out as they stopped the barrel. "Jonathan, get ready to hand off the scroll."  
"No problem, I've got it right here." Jonathan said when he opened up his cape to find the pocket in it empty. "Uh... Uh-oh."  
"Looking for this?" Martha asked with a smirk as she handed the scroll to Jonathan.  
"What would I do without you?" Jonathan asked with a smile as he kissed Martha's cheek.  
"Jonathan!" Bruce groaned impatiently.  
"Sorry." Jonathan said with a smirk as he tossed down the scroll as Wally caught it.  
"Thank you!" Wally called out. "Thank you all!"  
"Don't mention it!" Jonathan called out as he turned to the children. "Because of your faith and bravery, hundreds of Christians will hear a new story tonight."  
"What story will they hear, Jonathan?" Thea asked.  
"Well," Jonathan said. "It's the story of how Jesus and his disciples got caught in a terrible storm over the Sea of Galilee."

At the Metropolis Story Meeting, the substitute Story-Teller, John Stewart, unfurled the scroll and began reading.  
"That evening, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, 'Come, let's cross over to the other side.'"

* * *

Oh, that one took awhile. Sorry guys.


	7. Kent Nelson

Chapter Seven: Catacomb Rescue Part 1: Kent Nelson

It was a starry night in Smallville with a full moon. While it was a beautiful night for most, for Clark, Laurel, Oliver, Jonathan, Martha, Bruce, and Thea, this meant only one thing: Luthor's soldiers could spot them very easily. They had to be extra careful, and every time a soldier began to come, they would hide behind a building.  
"Martha, why are we being so careful tonight?" Clark asked.  
"Because tonight's meeting is especially dangerous, Clark." Martha explained. "Jonathan's friend Kent Nelson will be there, and Lionel Luthor would love to capture him because he's told so many people the stories of Jesus."  
"I think it's safe now." Jonathan whispered before he was proven wrong when Slade and Tommy Merlyn were questioning a young man.  
"You there!" Tommy said to the man. "We're looking for a man named Kent Nelson, a Christian. Do you know him?"  
"No I don't." The man said simply.  
"Alright." Tommy said plainly when Slade shoved him aside.  
"You call that an interrogation, Tommy?" Slade scoffed. "I'll show you."  
Slade easily lifted the man up and held him close.  
"Do you know a Christian named Kent Nelson?" Slade asked.  
"No, I swear!" The man said, easily frightened by Slade's visage.  
"You don't only know him, you are Nelson, aren't you?" Slade said as he pulled out a whip and started lashing the man. "I say you're Nelson! You're Kent Nelson the Story Keeper!"  
"Yes!" The man said, scared out of his wits. "Yes, anything you say!"  
"Liar." Slade said with a smirk as he tossed the man into a troth of water.  
"That my friend is how it's done." Slade told Tommy smugly.  
"Why do they have to be so cruel?" Laurel asked.  
"They beat my father like that." Oliver said bitterly. "Before they took them away."  
The guards walked off as Oliver looked angrily at them.

The meeting that night took place in a secret underground house with Bruce acting as a lookout as usual; he also made sure all who entered knew the sign of the fish to prove their Christianity.  
After awhile, Jonathan and the others arrived, and Oliver greeted them just as Kent Nelson arrived. Kent was an old man with white hair, but he only had a few wrinkles on his forehead.  
"Jonathan, how are you doing, kiddo?" Kent said as he and Jonathan hugged.  
"Kent!" Jonathan called out. "I'm so glad you made it! Everyone's been looking forward to hearing your stories."  
Jonathan then turned and addressed the crowd.  
"Friends of Jesus, please welcome Kent Nelson, the Master Story Teller!" Jonathan called out.  
"Ah, Jonathan is too kind." Kent said with a smile. "For he knows that I'm nothing compared to the greatest storyteller of all. Why one day during a biblical past life, I remember hearing Jesus in Galilee, and as he spoke, a man stepped forward.  
"'What must I do to live in God's new way?' The man asked arrogantly.  
"'What do the Scriptures say?' Jesus asked in response.  
"'They say we must love God and our neighbor as ourselves.' The man recited.  
"'Yes.' Jesus said. 'Do this and you will live.'  
"'But who is my neighbor?' The man asked again.  
"Jesus took a stick and drew a line in the road.  
"'There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho.' Jesus began. 'But some men put a trap on the road, and when the man came by, they robbed and beat him. Leaving him there, bleeding and alone. A priest was going down the same road, but he refused to stop and help. Then a Levite came by, on his way to the temple where he worked, but he didn't stop either. Then just as the man thought he would die, a Samaritan came over. The wounded man didn't think a stranger from Samaria would help, but the foreigner took pity on him and stopped. After tending to the man's wounds, the Samaritan took him to an inn.  
"'"This man needs help." The Samaritan told the innkeeper.  
"'"Do you know this man?" The innkeeper asked.  
"'"No, but please take care of him for me." The Samaritan requested and gave the man several coins. "If it costs more than this, I'll pay you on the way back."  
"'The innkeeper was amazed. Samaritans and Jews don't usually talk to one another, and yet the priest and Levite had broken their own law by not helping the man. Now, which one of those men who passed by the wounded traveler was his neighbor?'  
"'The one who was kind to him.' The man said, understanding.  
"'Exactly.' Jesus said as he put a hand on the man's shoulder. 'Now you go, and do the same.'  
"Now there was a master story teller." Kent finished with a smile.  
"Ah yes." Jonathan said with a smile.  
While Jonathan went to introduce Kent to the others, a thin man with light brown hair bumped into Bruce as he stared at him quizzically.  
"I don't remember seeing you before." Bruce said plainly.  
"Who me?" The man asked. "Well I'm visiting. I'm visiting my uncle, yes. And there he is. Oh uncle!"  
Bruce rubbed his chin as the man rushed off. There was something about that guy he didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"And finally, this is Thea, and her brother Oliver." Jonathan said after introducing everyone to Kent.  
"It's great to meet you all." Kent said.  
"Come on to the Farm." Jonathan said. "Martha has a feast waiting for us. After dinner, I'll tell you about our plans. Believe me, we'll have you out of the city before Lionel even knows you're here.

"What do you mean he's here?" Lionel shouted. "Who's here?"  
"The one who spread all that Jesus nonsense throughout Happy Harbor." Lionel's spy, John Corben said as he shook.  
Tommy couldn't blame him. He doubted he'd be very brave when it came down to a face-to-face talk with his godfather.  
"Oh... Him." Lionel said, realizing Corben was talking about Nelson. "Why the unmitigated dog! It's bad enough he spreads that poison out in the rest of the world, but to come here... Corben, thank you for bringing this to my attention.  
"You're welcome." Corben said.  
"Tommy," Lionel said. "Why isn't this Christian here now begging for his life?"  
"Well sir, my men haven't found him yet, but I have them on the lookout for any unusual activity." Tommy responded.  
"If your men are able to look for anything at all, that would be unusual activity." Slade said with a sneer. He and Tommy were natural rivals as they were both very high up in the army and had such opposing views.  
"Do you mean that Corben is the only one who knows where this Christian is?" Lionel asked incredulously. "That Corben is the one true everlasting friend of the empire?"  
"Well..." Corben said. "I didn't actually see where he went."  
Lionel growled angrily and then smirked as he pushed the button on a device he was holding, and an explosion occurred in Corben's head, and he fell unconscious.  
"Now, where were we?" Lionel mused.  
"The search for the Christian is a matter for my Dominator Guard." Slade said quickly. "Not these common foot soldiers. Let me do this my way, and I guarantee we'll have this Christian in chains by sunrise."  
"The only thing you can guarantee, Slade is brutality and destruction!" Tommy called out angrily.  
"Brutality and destruction?" Lionel asked with a smirk. "Why Tommy, what an excellent idea. I want you and Slade to work together."  
"Sir!" Slade protested.  
"Silence!" Lionel ordered. "Now close the city gates, and let no one travel the highways of the empire without my official seal!"  
Lionel then put down two sets of papers, poured some melted wax from a candle onto them, and pressed down on them with a stamp, leaving an L inside a rectangle on the papers.  
"I want that Christian dead." Lionel said as he handed the papers to Slade and Tommy. "As well as anyone caught hiding him. You have your orders, now go!"

* * *

Uh-oh. Things look bad for the gang now, don't they?


	8. The Search

Chapter 8: Catacomb Rescue: Part 2: The Search

While searching for Kent Nelson, Tommy watched as Slade had his men break down a door and ransack the house to look for the Christian.  
"Sometimes I don't understand." Tommy said to Oswald, who was busy with some chicken he'd grabbed, which equated to talking to himself. "Even if they are different, these Christians don't seem so bad. Still Lionel is my god, and I do as he commands. Guards, search that house!"  
Tommy's men entered a house across from where Slade was.

Oliver was walking down the street with some bread when he noticed all the soldiers, led by Slade.  
"You there!" Slade snapped. "What are you doing?"  
"I was just making deliveries." Oliver said nervously.  
"Deliver this!" Slade called out as he cracked his whip at the cart Oliver was pulling as it tumbled over. Avoiding the whip from Slade, Oliver ran into Tommy Merlyn, the soldier who had captured Bruce last week.  
"Hey, watch where you're going, boy!" Tommy called out.  
"Why don't you get your hands off of me?!" Oliver shouted as he wrenched himself free.  
"And why don't you get off the streets?" Tommy retorted calmly.  
Oliver rushed off.  
"One day, you're going to pay for this!" Oliver called out. "You're all gonna pay!"

At the farm, everyone had finished eating, and the children crowded around Kent.  
"Tell us a story!" Laurel pleaded.  
"Yeah, a story about Jesus!" Thea said as well.  
"Kent will tell another story tonight." Jonathan said with a smile. "Right now, we have to discuss our plans to get him off of Earth."  
"Does he have to leave?" Laurel asked sadly.  
"I'm afraid so, Laurel." Kent said. "There are many people on Thanagar who have never heard the stories of Christ, and I have to plant the seeds."  
Kent then left with Jonathan to talk as Martha sat down.  
"He's gonna plant seeds on Thanagar?" Thea asked.  
"I thought he was a Story Keeper. Not a farmer." Clark said.  
"Well Clark, telling the stories of Jesus is like planting a seed in someone's heart." Martha explained.  
"Laurel!" Jonathan called from the staircase. "Tell them about the sewer!"  
"Ah, yes." Martha said with a smile. "One day, Jesus was teaching a crowd by the sea.  
"'Listen to this!' Jesus said. 'A farmer went to plant his crop. Now some seeds fell on the path, and the birds ate them. Some seeds fell on rocky ground. These shot up quickly because the soil was thin, but they were scorched by the sun. Some seeds fell among the thorn bushes, and the thorns grew up and choked them, so that they never ripened, but some seeds fell into good soil and made thirty times more grain. Some up to sixty, and others up to a hundred times more grain.'  
"And Jesus then said, 'He who has ears, let them hear.'"  
"Hear what?" Clark asked. "I don't get it."  
"Well, neither did his Disciples." Martha said. "At least, not at first. You see, after the story, Peter turned to Jesus and asked, 'Master, why do you speak in stories. Why not say what you mean, like you do with us?'  
"Jesus responded, 'When I'm talking to you, I can talk about God's way plainly, about how God cares for everyone everywhere, but those who see me as I pass through their villages don't know me as well. I put things into stories. That way, those who want to hear me can, but those whose hearts are closed never do. Like the scriptures say, they look, but they don't really see what's there. They listen, but they don't understand.'  
"Because if they did understand, they'd change their ways." Martha finished.  
Just then, Oliver burst in.  
"Jonathan, Jonathan!" Oliver shouted out. "The soldiers are coming! We've gotta hide Kent!"  
"Oliver, you and Laurel take Kent to the catacombs and wait for me." Jonathan said quickly. "I'll keep the guards busy."  
There was a knock on the door.  
"Open up in the name of Lionel Luthor!" A voice called out.  
"Hurry!" Jonathan asked.  
As Oliver and Laurel took Kent to the kitchen to get him out by the window, the children and Martha quickly cleaned up.  
"I said open this door!" The soldier called out again.  
"I'm coming." Jonathan said. "I'm coming."  
Jonathan opened the door to find Cobblepot.  
"Oswald!" Jonathan called out with a smile.  
"Oh, Jonathan." Cobblepot said in shock. "I didn't realize this was your farm."  
"Come in." Jonathan said kindly. "Come in."  
"I'm afraid I'll have to." Oswald said. "Luthor's orders. We're searching the whole district."

In the kitchen, Oliver tried to push Kent out while Laurel pulled.  
"Come on, Mr. Nelson!" Laurel groaned.

"So, are you searching for anyone in particular?" Martha asked.  
"Well actually..." Cobblepot began before he turned to some bread Martha had just pulled out of the oven. "Wow, those look good."  
"By all means, help yourself." Jonathan said kindly.  
Cobblepot began to eat a loaf of the bread when Slade came in.  
"Well Cobblepot, hoping to find a Christian beneath that crust?!" Slade asked.  
"No." Cobblepot said nervously. "Sorry sir. I was just about to-"  
Slade shoved the bread into Cobblepot's mouth when he turned to the others.  
"Search this place!" Slade called out, and the guards pounded through the whole bakery as Martha held Thea and Clark close to her.  
After their searches turned up nothing, there was a loud thump.  
"What was that?" Slade asked as he went into the kitchen to find a picture of Jonathan shaking hands with Lionel.  
"Lionel Luthor's farmer, eh?" Slade asked as he turned to Jonathan. "If I find you've been hiding that Story Keeper, I'll harvest you."

Outside of a rundown road, Laurel helped Oliver and Kent sneak into the catacombs that ran throughout Metropolis and Smallville.  
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Oliver asked.  
"I know these tunnels like the back of my hand." Laurel said offhandedly. "I had to leave down here for a month after the fire."  
They then walked on.

Back at the farm, Jonathan, Martha, Clark, and Thea cleaned up.  
"At least the children are safe." Jonathan said reassuringly. "And they didn't find Kent."  
"Jonathan." A voice whispered.  
"What was that?" Clark asked.  
"Jonathan." The voice whispered again as Thea noticed it was coming from the picture in the kitchen.  
"The picture's talking." Thea said in awe.  
"Thea, it's just Bruce." Jonathan said good naturedly as he lifted the picture as Bruce hoped in.  
"Jonathan, you won't believe it!" Bruce said excitedly. "We've gathered a whole cartful of food and clothing for Kent to take to our friends on Thanagar!"  
"That's wonderful!" Martha said.  
"Yeah, and I've got these!" Bruce said as he pulled out a piece of paper with Luthor's seal on it. "Traveling papers."  
"Traveling papers?" Thea asked.  
"Luthor set up check points all over the city, but with these, once Kent's out of the country, he can travel anywhere in the empire!"  
"Excellent." Jonathan said. "Bruce, tell everyone to bring their gifts to the Thanagar Christians to J'onn's cave, here. We'll meet you there tonight."  
"But that's outside the city." Clark said confusedly. "How will you get Kent there?"  
"Catacombs, my boy." Jonathan said with a laugh. "They don't call us underground Christians for nothing."

* * *

Oh, now that was a good stroke of luck for the gang.


	9. The Good of the Story

Chapter Nine: Catacomb Rescue: The Good of the Story

Jonathan quietly sped to the catacomb entrance and lit a light to make sure he could see inside the dark passages as it was already eight in the evening.

"But we've looked everywhere." A guard said to Slade.  
"I don't want excuses!" Slade snapped. "I want that Christian! And if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you! NOW GO!"  
After that, Slade noticed a light near an abandoned road as he smirked.  
"Oh Thomas, I think I've found our man." Slade said with a sneer as Tommy walked up. "Come. I'll show you how to deal with these Christians."  
The two then walked off.

In the catacombs, Jonathan met up with Kent, Oliver, and Laurel as they all smiled at the sight of each other.  
As they were about to rush off, Jonathan noticed Kent clutch his chest.  
"Laurel slow down!" Jonathan called out.  
"Sorry." Laurel said weakly.  
"Are you okay, Kent?" Jonathan asked.  
"Yeah." Kent sighed. "These old bones aren't what they used to be, though. I need a minute to catch my breath."  
Suddenly, Oliver's super hearing picked up something.  
"Listen." Oliver whispered.  
Now they all heard footsteps.  
"We're being followed." Jonathan said. "Run!"  
They all rushed off when Kent began breathing hard.  
"Jonathan, it's me they want." Kent breathed. "You and the children go on. You've got a better chance of making it without me."  
"No, Kent." Jonathan said. "Laurel, hold onto the traveling papers Oliver got for Kent. Kent, hop on my back. The lord will give me the strength of two men."  
Kent hopped on as Jonathan fell over.  
"I thought you said the lord would give you the strength of two men." Kent said.  
"Well, they must have been two very small men." Jonathan said.  
After that, they sped off.

Tommy and Slade were walking when Slade heard hastened footsteps to their left.  
"Come!" Slade said and rushed after them.

At a bridge, everyone crossed single file for fear of over loading it as Laurel slipped before Oliver caught her, and a rock fell into the chasm.  
"I wonder how deep this goes." Laurel wondered.  
"I don't intend to find out." Kent said plainly.  
"They're getting closer." Jonathan pointed out.  
"I've got an idea!" Laurel said.  
"Oh no." Oliver groaned.  
"Just help me with this beam!" Laurel said as she and Oliver grabbed a beam and pulled.  
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked.  
"If we pull out the support, we can pull the roof in behind us." Laurel explained. "I've seen it happen before."  
"Oh yeah." Oliver said sarcastically. "That'll stop them."  
They pulled out the support beam, but the cave stood in perfect condition.  
"I don't understand." Laurel said. "Maybe the foundation needs to be loosened.  
Laurel kicked the area where the beam was, and the whole tunnel began shaking.  
"Okay, sorry about earlier." Oliver said.

As Tommy and Slade began crossing a plank over a chasm, there was a slight tremor, and Slade lost his footing, barely holding onto the plank.  
"Tommy!" Slade called out, and Tommy quickly helped him up.

Unfortunately, Laurel' plain worked too well, and the cave in separated Oliver and Laurel from Kent and Jonathan.  
"Laurel, Oliver, are you two alright?" Jonathan called out.  
"We're fine!" Oliver shouted back.  
"You and Mr. Nelson go onto the cave!" Laurel called out. "We'll meet you there! I know another way!"  
"Laurel!" Jonathan called out, but there was no response. "Laurel?"  
With no answer, Jonathan was forced to continue onward with Kent.

As Oliver and Laurel rushed on, they stopped to listen.  
"I don't hear the guards anymore." Laurel said.  
"Maybe they were buried alive." Oliver said bitterly. "That's what they deserve."  
Suddenly, there was another cave-in.  
"Uh-oh." Oliver groaned.

As Tommy and Slade continued on, the tunnel began shaking even worse than before.  
"The tunnel is collapsing!" Slade called out as they rushed off, and both men got on the plank at the same time, causing it to break, and Tommy was barely able to hold onto the edge.  
"Slade!" Tommy called out. "Help me!"  
"Help yourself." Slade said plainly as he rushed out.  
Tommy fell and landed on an outstretching rock. Then, everything was darkness.

Slade rushed out of the cavern. The role of the soldier was survival of the fittest, and he was more fit to be a soldier than Tommy Luthor.

The cave-in stopped without any more of the tunnel falling in on them.  
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked.  
"Yeah." Laurel replied when they heard a groan. "What's that?"  
They went to the chasm, which had lost the plank as they saw Tommy Luthor lying there small and weak, clutching at his leg.  
"It's him!" Oliver said. "He's one of the soldiers that-"  
"Slade, is that you?" Tommy asked. "Here, grab my whip!"  
Tommy tossed a dusty whip at the edge of the cavern for them to grab hold of.  
"What do we do?" Laurel asked.  
"Nothing!" Oliver said angrily. He was about to walk off when Laurel stopped him.  
"We've gotta help him!" Laurel called out. "He'll die!"  
"So?" Oliver asked. "Leave him there!"  
"Oliver, it's not right!" Laurel argued.  
"What they did to our families wasn't right!" Oliver snapped back when he heard Tommy's voice again.  
"Slade?" Tommy pleaded. "Please help me!"  
Laurel rushed at the whip as Oliver sighed and knew Laurel was right about helping Tommy, and he helped her pull the whip up when it suddenly gave a little, and the traveling papers for Kent fell into blackness.  
"Oh, that's just perfect!" Oliver groaned, but he and Laurel continued pulling.

At J'onn's cave, Martha rushed up to Jonathan and Kent as they arrived.  
"Thank goodness you're here!" Martha sighed. "We were so... Where are the children?"  
"There was a cave-in." Jonathan explained. "We got separated, and they're trying to find another way. Bruce, some of you search the catacombs for them."  
"Right." Bruce said calmly as he and a few others headed off.

Eventually, Oliver and Laurel managed to pull Tommy up as he collapses on the floor breathing heavily.  
"Oh Slade, I didn't think you'd come ba-" Tommy said before he noticed Oliver and Laurel. "You? You saved me?"  
"Yup." Laurel said plainly.  
"But... You're Christians." Tommy said confusedly.  
"Uh-huh." Laurel agreed again.  
"Laurel!" Oliver shouted.  
"I came here to arrest you." Tommy continued in shock. "Why would you risk your lives for me?"  
"We were just doing what the Samaritan did." Laurel explained.  
"What Samaritan?" Tommy asked.  
"The one in the story Mr. Nelson told us." Laurel explained.  
"Ah... Kent Nelson." Tommy said. "The Story Keeper. He's the man I'm after."  
"Well you shouldn't have any trouble now!" Oliver said moodily. "Thanks to you, we just lost his traveling papers."  
"Please take me to him." Tommy said without any hesitation in his voice.

In J'onn's cave, the Christians were getting restless.  
"First they burn our houses, now they take our children!" A woman shouted.  
"How much more are we supposed to take from Luthor's thugs?!" A man called out.  
"Please!" Jonathan said, trying to calm everyone down. "Ollie and the others will find them!"  
"There are only two soldiers there, and there are fifty of us!" J'onn shouted. "I say we go in there and get some revenge!"  
"Friends!" Kent called out. "Friends, we mustn't be like other people! We must learn to forgive!"  
"Yes, but how many times do we have to forgive them?!" J'onn asked.  
"Disciple Peter asked the same thing!" Kent called out before calming down. "Come and listen. They were walking in the hillside, and Peter said, 'But lord, when someone treats me badly, how many times do I have to forgive them? Is seven times enough?'  
"'No.' Jesus responded. 'Not seven times or seventy, but seven times seventy.'  
"Jesus then told his disciples a story to explain his point.  
"'There once was a king who wanted to settle the accounts for the men who worked for him. One man owed him thousands of silver coins, but he didn't have any money to pay him.  
"'"Then everything you own will be sold to pay your debt." The king said. "Even your wife and children."  
"'"Give me time!" The man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."  
"'The king felt sorry for the man, crossed out his debt, and let him go, but on the way home, the man met another of the king's servants who owed him a small amount.  
"'"Pay me what you owe me!" The man said.  
"'"Give me time!" The other man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."  
"'However, the man tossed the other into prison. When the king found out what the man had done, he was furious and brought both men before him.  
"'"You wicked man!" The king snapped. "I wiped out your debt when you begged for time to pay! You should have done the same for this man! Guards, take him to prison until he pays all of his debt!"  
"You see what Jesus was saying?" Kent asked. "We must forgive those who wrong us just as God has forgiven us."

"Are you Kent Nelson, the Story Keeper?!" Tommy asked as he walked up to Kent with Laurel and Oliver behind him.  
"I am Kent Nelson." Kent said calmly.  
"Are you the one who told these children the stories of Jesus?" Tommy asked.  
At that moment, Bruce and several others walked up and held out their swords when Jonathan stopped them.  
"If the people who hear your stories become like these children," Tommy began. "Then all of the galaxy should hear about your Jesus."  
Tommy then handed Kent his traveling papers.  
"Here." Tommy said. "You'll be needing these papers."  
Kent took them and smiled.  
"You're drawn to him, aren't you?" Kent asked.  
"A fellow soldier left me to die, but these children saved my life because of Jesus." Tommy said as he smiled.  
"Come." Kent said. "We'll talk."  
"No." Tommy said plainly. "It isn't safe now, and my men will be looking for me."  
"Then I leave you in the hands of my friend, Jonathan." Kent said.  
Jonathan walked up and made the sign of the fish on the ground as Tommy memorized it.  
"Look for me at my farm in Smallville, Mr. Merlyn." Jonathan said.  
"Please." Tommy said as he shook Jonathan's hand. "My friends call me, Tommy."  
"Definitely easier to say." Kent said with a smile as Tommy smiled too.  
"May your god go with you, Mr. Nelson." Tommy said.  
"He will, my brother." Kent said with a smile. "And also with you."  
Kent then walked off as Tommy turned to Oliver and Laurel.  
"And as for you," Tommy said. "I don't know how to thank you, but I promise you, I will find a way."  
"Hey, don't mention it." Oliver said with a smile as he and Tommy shook hands before Tommy headed out.

* * *

Hooray for Tommy, Oliver, and Laurel!


	10. Virgil Swann

Chapter 10: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 1: Virgil Swann

"You, Christian!" Slade shouted. "Halt in the name of Lionel Luthor!"  
Virgil sped away from several of Slade's men as they pursued him. He looked up and noticed a statue. Seeing gray paint on the ground, Virgil quickly rubbed it all over himself and stood by the statue to make it seem like he was part of it. When Slade investigated, Virgil stepped on Slade's head, knocking him down, as he sped off.  
"After him!" Slade shouted.

At the farm, Clark and Laurel were up a tree wearing leaves to blend in as Bruce observed them.  
"I love climbing trees, but I never thought I'd be one." Laurel said.  
"You missed a spot, Laurel." Clark said with a smirk as he plucked a leaf from the tree and put it on Laurel's mouth.  
"Clark, any sign of the courier?" Bruce asked.  
"Not yet." Clark said plainly.  
"Well keep looking." Bruce said plainly. "And fix your camouflage. I can still see you."  
Bruce then turned to Oliver, who had grown a few inches.  
"Oliver, why aren't you in position?!" Bruce snapped at Oliver as he rushed to the opposite sight of his position with bows and arrows.  
"I'm going!" Oliver groaned. "Don't get your jeans in a bunch!"  
"How am I supposed to work with a bunch of amateurs like this?!" Bruce asked Jonathan, Martha, and Thea angrily.  
"What's wrong with Bruce, Jonathan?" Thea asked. Bruce seemed a lot snippier than usual.  
"Well Thea, the courier we're waiting for was a friend of Bruce's father, Virgil." Jonathan explained.  
"He's a freedom fighter, and a Story Keeper for New York, and Bruce wants to make a good impression." Martha explained.  
"Here he comes!" Laurel shouted from the tree.  
"Positions everybody!" Bruce said at once as everyone prepared to defend themselves and Virgil.  
Virgil, a sandy-haired man with blue eyes like Clark's, rushed to their position, chased by several guards.  
"He's not gonna make it!" Clark exclaimed.  
"I'll activate the emergency barricade!" Bruce shouted as he fired an arrow at a bundle of barrels, but he instead hit a wall.  
Working quickly, Oliver took another arrow and severing the rope himself, releasing several barrels that blocked the soldiers' path.  
"You Christians can't escape Luthor's justice forever!" Slade shouted as he slipped and fell while the others hid.

Inside the farm, Jonathan shook Virgil's hand.  
"Virgil." Jonathan said with a smile.  
"We're so glad to have you with us." Martha said happily.  
"Not as glad as I am, Martha." Virgil said, catching his breath after his extended chase. "For a moment there, I didn't think I'd make it. Now, where's Bruce?"  
Jonathan went to check and found Bruce shooting a sand bag with a bulls-eye on it with arrows.  
"Bruce, don't you wanna see, Virgil?" Jonathan asked.  
"I can't believe I missed that shot." Bruce groaned. "He's going to be so disappointed."  
"Everyone misses a shot now and then." Jonathan points out.  
"You don't understand, Jonathan." Bruce sighed. "My dad was the greatest leader the Story Keepers of Gotham ever had. He'd never have missed."  
"There you are!" Virgil called out as he came over to them with Thea. "Bruce!"  
"Uncle Virgil, watch this!" Bruce shouted as he hit a tree with an arrow. "I don't understand!" Bruce said angrily. "This never happens!"  
"Well, you hit the mark when it counted." Virgil said comfortingly. "You saved my neck back there."  
"I thought Oliver hit the tar-" Thea began to say before Oliver quickly covered her mouth.  
Virgil then looked Bruce over and smiled.  
"You are the image of your father, God rest your soul." Virgil said. "I also bet you're every bit the leader he was too. That reminds me, I have something for you."  
Virgil reached into his pocket and held up a necklace with a bat on it.  
"Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough." Virgil said. "It's your family crest."  
Bruce put the necklace on.  
"Thanks Uncle Virgil." Bruce said with a smile. "I promise I'll be worthy of it."  
"Virgil, did you and Bruce's dad really led an uprising in Gotham?" Clark asked as he suddenly popped up.  
"Did you really defeat an entire garrison of Luthor's troops in Metropolis?" Laurel asked as well.  
"Tell us about the freedom fights in Star City!" Oliver called out.  
"That's enough!" Bruce snapped. "Uncle Virgil doesn't have time to entertain a bunch of children!"  
"Well of course I do." Virgil said with a smile at Jonathan's young charges. "Bruce, you remember the way Jesus said we should treat children?"  
"What?" Thea asked. "What did he say?"  
"Well Thea," Virgil said as he sat down and picked Thea up and set Thea on his lap. "One day, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. It had been a long, hard journey. The disciples had become irritable and were quarreling with one another.  
"During a stop and meal at a welcoming house, Jesus asked, 'What were you arguing about earlier?'  
"As it turned out, they had been arguing about which one of them was the most important.  
"In response to this, Jesus picked up a young boy that giggled, and Jesus said, 'I have already told you that my kingdom belongs to people who are like this child.'  
"The disciples knew how important children were to Jesus because of something that had happened on another occasion. Jesus was teaching as the disciples tried to keep the children out.  
"Noticing this, Jesus said, 'Let the boys and girls come to me. Don't stop them. Anyone who does not accept God's kingdom like a little boy or girl will not get inside.'  
"So you see, Bruce, Jesus holds children in very high regards."  
"As do I, Virgil." Bruce said grandly. "What good is a leader without followers? Alright everyone, break time's over. Attention!"  
All the children stood erect.  
"It's time to show Uncle Virgil how efficiently we can set up for tonight's meeting. Move out!"  
All the children walked off.  
"You know Virgil, I think Bruce might have missed the point of your story." Jonathan observed as Bruce ordered the children around like an army sergeant.  
"I think you're right." Virgil said plainly.

At Lionel's Metropolis palace, he was observing a model of Smallville as Tommy watched in silent disgust.  
"Now let's see..." Lionel pondered. "Where shall I build my new Pantheon? Try to the south, Dominic!"  
Dominic picked up the model of the pantheon and walked off as Slade arrived.  
"Hail, Luthor!" Slade called out.  
"Ah, Slade." Lionel said offhandedly. "I understand you lost another Christian courier in Smallville's market district."  
"Lionel," Slade defended. "The district is riddled with secret passages and tunnels. It's impossible to accurately patrol... So what if we burned it to the ground?"  
"Hm..." Lionel observed. "That would provide a perfect spot for my pantheon. Don't just stand there, Dominic!"  
"But Lionel, a fire in the market district could kill hundreds of people!" Tommy protested.  
"Wonderful." Lionel said with a wicked grin, which after becoming a Christian, Tommy noticed more and more. "Slade, have you a plan?"  
"As a matter of fact," Slade said as he held up the model of a huge canon. "I call it, The Wrath of Luthor."  
"Impressive." Lionel observed as he put a small charge in there and fired at the model of New Smallville's market district, setting half the thing ablaze. "Oh, I like it."  
Tommy quietly slid over to a servant fried of his, Davis Bloome, and knelt down low to avoid being heard.  
"You must get word to Jonathan." Tommy whispered. "He's holding a meeting tonight in the market district. I'll do what I can to stall Slade, now go."  
Davis nodded and sneaked off, Lionel absorbed in the simulation of the market district burning to the ground. Lionel sickened Tommy to his very core these days.

* * *

Uh-oh. It's never good when Slade's happy.


	11. The Beginnings of a Fire

Chapter 11: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 2: The Beginnings of a Fire

Davis waited quietly as he heard the groaning of slaves and soldiers pulling the catapult. Once it was clear, he made a dash for Smallville's market district as fast as his Kryptonian DNA allowed. He hoped and prayed to God that he'd get there before Slade.

Bruce checked around the area. His side looked clear, but he had to make sure, especially with Virgil watching.  
"Are my leaves on straight?" Clark said with a smile in the tree he was hiding in.  
"Yeah, but you need more twigs." Laurel replied as the two of them and Thea giggled.  
"Stop giggling!" Bruce whispered angrily. "Trees don't giggle!" Seriously. Kids had to be told everything. "Any sign of the guards?"  
"All clear." Clark responded.  
"All clear, Jonathan." Bruce responded.  
Jonathan nodded and walked over to the Christians who'd arrived for the story.  
"Many of you ask, 'How long must we keep telling the stories of Jesus in secret?'" Jonathan started. "Well, one thing is certain. They can't keep us quiet forever. Any more than they could keep a blind beggar quiet when Jesus passed by.  
"It was on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples had to cross through the city of Jericho, and it was there that they met a blind man called Bartemaus.  
"Upon hearing that Jesus had arrived, Bartemaus called out, 'Son of David! Jesus, help me!'  
"Even though the people tried to shuttle the poor blind man away, Jesus stopped them and asked them to call Bartemaus over to him.  
"When he arrived, Jesus asked, 'What is it you want from me?'  
"Bartemaus replied, 'I want my sight back.'  
"'Go home.' Jesus responded. 'Because you have trusted me, you have been made better.'  
"And just like that, Bartemaus could see again."  
Just then, a knock was heard. Bruce approached it cautiously and opened it a bit to reveal a friend from Lionel's palace, Davis Bloome.  
"Davis!" Jonathan called out. "What's wrong?"  
"Tommy sent me, but I think I may be too late." Davis said panting. "There's gonna be a fire."  
"What?!" Laurel called out.  
"He's right!" Clark called out from the tree. "We're surrounded!"  
Everyone began to talk excitedly when Jonathan calmed them down.  
"Friends, please." Jonathan said as calm as the sea. "If we panic, it'll only make things worse."  
"I don't think they can get much worse." Bruce pointed out.

At the hilltop where the catapult was, a flaming boulder was released right at the heart of the district.  
"Bull's eye!" Slade called out. "That'll teach Christians to defy Lionel Luthor's law. RELOAD!"

Meanwhile, at the district, everyone was carrying water to clear a passageway to allow for an escape.  
"Keep it coming!" Jonathan called out.  
Thea tried to help, but the bucket was too heavy for her.  
"Thea, you're spilling it everywhere!" Bruce said angrily. Leave it to me!"  
Thea felt like she was about to cry as Bruce took the bucket from him. Why was Bruce being so mean today?  
"Hey Thea, I could use your help." Virgil said kindly as he gave Thea a smaller bucket she could handle as he held two of his own.

Tommy looked around cautiously when Slade touched his shoulder.  
"What are you doing here?" Slade said angrily.  
"Hail Slade." Tommy said quickly. "How's the fire?"  
"So, you've come to share in my victory, have you?!" Slade asked angrily, just as Tommy wanted. "Well Luthor put me in charge of this operation! And I don't need any help from you! Stay out of my way, and you won't get hurt."  
As Slade left, Tommy saw Cobblepot barely pluck an apple from a tree, giving Tommy a fun little idea.  
As they prepared to set another boulder ablaze, Tommy walked up and whistled at a horse, who came up and ate an apple Tommy held before quickly walking off, causing the catapult to be pulled forward enough, so that they missed their next target.  
Instead, it hit an old bath house, putting the boulder out at once.

The gang breathed a sigh of relief after a good hour's work.  
"We did it." Laurel sighed.  
"For now." Davis said. "But Lex can't stall Brainiac forever."  
"Davis is right." Jonathan said calmly. "We'll have to evacuate."  
"How?" Davis asked. "We're completely surrounded."  
"We all knew this day would come, and we're prepared for it." Jonathan continued as calm as before. "You kids know what to do."  
Using the aqueduct system and camouflage, the kids were able to help everyone out of the market district of Smallville.

Back at the catapult, Tommy subtly damaged the rope as it began to fray.  
"Perfect." Tommy said with a smirk.  
"PREPARE TO FIRE!" Slade called out.  
The boulder just fell idly down the hill as the entire catapult fell over. Tommy could only smile at the look of horror and rage on Slade's face.

* * *

Hooray for teamwork and sabotage!


	12. A Father's Son

Chapter 12: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 3: A Father's Son

The gang reconvened at the truck that Virgil and Martha were setting up.  
"How's the evacuation going?" Martha asked.  
"Mission accomplished." Bruce said with a smile. "We're the only ones left."  
"Bruce, you and Virgil take the kids to the exit point." Jonathan said calmly. "Oliver and I will get the other truck ready and meet you back at the farm."  
The kids all headed in with help from Martha and Virgil.  
"Now go easy on her, Bruce." Oliver said. "She's been acting a bit fidgety when you accelerate the gas."  
"You don't need to tell me about driving, kid!" Bruce said angrily. "My father was a master driver."  
"He drove spaceships, Bruce." Virgil pointed out. He really didn't like how snippy Bruce was being. It just didn't seem like him. "This is a truck full of children."  
"Don't worry, Virgil." Bruce said. "I've got it under control."  
Oliver then drove off.

"We've righted the catapult sir." One of Slade's men said.  
"If there are any more mistakes, the next projectile launched will be you." Slade said as he lifted the guard up. He had enough of the various malfunctions with the catapult.

Laurel sat scared in the back of the truck as she turned to Martha.  
"Martha, how can Lionel be so cruel?" Laurel asked.  
"It's his way of punishing us because we don't always do what he tells us to." Martha explained.  
"Why don't we?" Thea asked.  
"Because sometimes you have to do what's right." Martha explained. "Even if it gets you into trouble. You know, one time, when Jesus was in the Synagogue, there was a man there with a paralyzed hand. It was the Sabbath. The day Jews are supposed to do no work. A group of Pharisees and members of King Hared's court were watching to see if Jesus would dare to heal this man on the Sabbath.  
"'Stand up for everyone to see you.' Jesus told the man, and he then turned to the Pharisees.  
"'What is the right thing to do on the Holy Day? Good or evil? To make someone better or let him die?'  
"Jesus was angry because the religious leaders were so strict and obstinate. Jesus then told the man to stretch his hand out, and he did so, much to everyone's amazement. Although they admired his powers, many Pharisees were furious that Jesus had broken their law. Jesus knew this would get him into trouble, and he was right. The Pharisees were so angry, that they joined with the friends of King Hared to plot against Jesus. Much like Lionel plots against Christians today."

Back at the catapult, Slade prepared to launch after checking and rechecking the catapult personally.  
"FIRE!" Slade called out.  
They fired two boulders into the district as Tommy tried to think of something to do.

As Bruce was driving the truck, he got frustrated with their lack of progress.  
"Come on you bucket of bolts, faster!" Bruce said as he pushed down on the accelerator.  
"Bruce, Oliver said to go easy on the truck." Virgil said calmly.  
"Yeah, but I can have us out of here in no time." Bruce said as he pressed onwards.  
"Bruce-" Virgil tried to warn him when suddenly, a huge boulder blocked their path, and Bruce had to turn completely around, and as he tried to slow down to get his barrings, the brakes wouldn't work.  
"Oh no." Bruce groaned as Clark popped his head up.  
"Um, shouldn't we be going the other way?" Clark asked.  
"Yeah, but we got blocked, and the stupid truck's brakes gave out!" Bruce said angrily, though he was angrier with himself. Oliver had told him to go easy on the truck, but as usual, Bruce's big stupid ego got in the way.

As Oliver and Jonathan got their truck ready, they saw the other truck fly right past them.  
"What in the world?" Jonathan asked.  
"I can't stop it!" Bruce called out.  
"They're heading right into the fire!" Oliver pointed out as everyone called for help.

From his palace, Lionel watched Smallville burn as he played a harp.  
_Fire burn bright.  
Fire burn strong.  
Soon I will build  
My pantheon.  
_Lionel then chuckled evilly.

Meanwhile, Jonathan's truck had caught up to Bruce's.  
"Hold on kids!" Jonathan called out.  
"We're trying!" Clark called back.  
"You're gonna have to jump!" Jonathan called out.  
Martha comforted the children as they braced themselves.  
"Thea, don't look down!" Oliver called out.  
"On three." Clark said calmly. "One, two, THREE!"  
The three children jumped off and landed in the other truck, with Laurel landing right on top of Oliver.  
"Sorry." Laurel said.  
"No problem." Oliver replied. "Jonathan, they're in."  
"You're turn, Martha." Jonathan said.  
"Can you get any closer?" Martha asked.  
"Martha, if I was any closer, I'd be driving your truck." Jonathan replied.  
"We'll jump with her, come on, Bruce." Virgil said as Bruce abandoned the front seat and took one of Martha's arms while Virgil took the other. "One, two, three!"  
The three jumped to the truck as the other one crashed into a building and as consumed by the flames.

Back at the catapult, Tommy was watching the horror with Slade.  
"Funny." Slade said with a smirk. "From here, they look just like ants."  
"They look like people to me." Tommy said angrily.

At the market, everyone looked around. They were surrounded by fire, and the flames were too high for Clark to fly out without having the others suffer from the smoke.

Back at the catapult, Slade gazed at the center of the district.  
"Target that statue!" Slade called out.

Everyone arrived at a glorified statue of Lionel, unsure of what to do.  
"There must be some way out of here." Oliver said, trying to be hopeful, but coming off more panicked.  
Unfortunately, every way was blocked by fire and debris.  
"We're trapped." Clark gulped.  
It was all Bruce's fault, so he figured he'd go with a clean conscious.  
"Virgil, I'm sorry." Bruce said plainly. "This whole thing is my fault."  
"Chin up, Bruce." Virgil said cheerfully. "I've been in worse scraps. I can't think of any, but I'm sure I have been."  
"I just wanted to impress you." Bruce sighed.  
"Impress me?" Virgil said in shock. "Is that why you've been acting so odd?"  
"Yes." Bruce said. "I don't even deserve to wear the family crest."  
"Bull plop!" Virgil said firmly. "Bruce, your father wasn't born a great leader He became leaders over time, and you will to."  
"Really?" Bruce asked.  
"Yes, once you learn to think a little before leaping into action." Virgil said.  
"Here comes another one!" Oliver called out as one landed very near where they all were.  
"I can hardly breathe." Clark gasped.  
"Any more boulders, and we're done for!" Oliver called out.  
"Any ideas, Virgil?" Jonathan asked.  
"Nope." Virgil responded.  
"Father, I've let everyone down." Bruce sighed. "What should I do?"  
Just then, he noticed the statue and the aqueduct, and he got an idea.  
"Clark, do you think you can climb to the top of that statue?" Bruce asked.  
"Sure." Clark said. "But why?"  
"I've got an idea." Bruce replied. "It's a long shot, but it just might work. Laurel, Oliver, I'm gonna need your help too."  
Bruce then grabbed some stray rope that thankfully wasn't burned.

As the catapult got loaded again, Tommy got one more idea.  
"Slade, why don't you double the load?" Tommy asked. "It'll speed things up."  
"I'm in charge of this operation, Tommy!" Slade said angrily. "I'll give the orders! Double the load!"

As Laurel, Clark, and Oliver climbed up the base of the statue with the rope they unwound it.  
"Good, now tie off the rope!" Bruce said calmly.  
"Be careful!" Martha called out too.  
They did so, tying the rope to Lionel's two hands as Bruce grabbed a bust of Lionel.  
"Quickly!" Jonathan called out. "We don't have much time."

"Prepare to fire!" Slade called out after the second boulder had been added.  
"But sir, I don't think we should." A guard said.  
"You're not here to think, now fire the catapult." Slade said darkly.  
"But sir-"  
"I SAID FIRE!"  
The catapult was fired, but it collapsed under the load and caught fire itself.  
"Give me that bucket!" Slade said quickly as a soldier handed it to him.  
"But sir, that's oil!" The guard said, but it was too late. Slade flung it on the fire, and it only got worse, and that was the end of the catapult.

Bruce aimed the bust at the aqueduct as he got it centered but began to get nervous.  
"What if I miss again?" Bruce asked himself aloud.  
"Then I was proud just to know you." Virgil stated. "Now do your best. That's all you can do."  
Bruce nodded and fired. It hit the aqueduct, spraying water all over the fire and putting it out as everyone cheered.  
"Now that's a shot even your father would've been proud of." Virgil said kindly as he and Bruce hugged.

* * *

Wow! That was a close one, huh?


	13. The Master's Ship

Chapter 13: Sink or Swim: Part 1: The Master's Ship

On board the war ship captained by the infamous Edward Fyers, the rowers, all slaves and Christians, were trying to row back home following a victory against the Dominion.  
"To port!" Fyers cried out. "To port, now! Hard to starboard!"  
Fyers then came down and addressed his second in command.  
"Secure the slaves." Fyers said calmly.  
"But captain, please!" An elderly slave said. "We'll drown!"  
"If this ship goes down, then you'll go with it." Fyers replied coolly.  
One of the slaves in charge of securing the barrels, Hal Jordan, looked around and the frantic pass. He knew no one would miss a slave in this storm, in fact, they probably wouldn't care, so Hal tossed a barrel over when no one was looking, jumped on to it and hung on for dear life.

Meanwhile, at the farm, the kids were putting on a show for Jonathan, Martha, and Bruce.  
"And now," Oliver called out. "The amazing Clark and Laurel will juggle six rolls!"  
Thea peaked inside to see how they were.  
"Six?!" Laurel called out. "I got juggle six!"  
"Sure you can." Clark said as he tossed a tray of freshly baked rolls into Laurel's hands as she shrieked and began juggling them as the curtain opened.  
"Oh hot!" Laurel called. "Hot! Hot! Hey, I'm doing it!"  
"See?" Clark said with a smile.  
"A little trick me and Clark came up with called 'Hot Tossed Buns'." Oliver said with a smile as everyone applauded, including Thea, who accidentally let go of the rope holding the curtains open, and it closed on Lois and Bruce.  
"Sorry!" Thea called out as she helped them out.  
"And now..." Oliver said. "Our main attraction. A story for the amazing Jonathan and Martha!"  
Everyone cheered and sat around the two.  
"Thank you." Jonathan said with a smile. "You know, your show reminded me of a man Jesus talked about."  
"Was he a juggler?" Thea asked.  
"No." Jonathan chuckled. "But he did put on a show every time he prayed. You see, among the people that Jesus talked to, there were religious men called Pharisees. They worked very hard at doing the right thing, but sometimes they overdid it. One day, Jesus told a story and made sure the Pharisees were listening.  
"He began by saying, 'Two men came into the men's court of the temple, to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector who worked for the Romans. The Pharisee stood on his own, where he thought he'd be noticed.  
"'"Oh lord," the Pharisee called out. "I thank you that I am not like other people! Greedy, dishonest, and wicked! Or like this tax collector! I fast twice a week! And I give a tenth of all I earn to the temple!"  
"'And while the Pharisee prayed, the tax collector didn't even look up.  
"'After the Pharisee finished, the tax collector whispered, "Oh lord, have mercy on me. I know I'm not good."'  
"Jesus told the people that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee who went home forgiven."  
Everyone nodded understandably. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door as Jonathan went over to it.  
"Jonathan..." A voice whispered weakly. "Jonathan . . ."  
Jonathan opened the door as Hal Jordan lay weakly on the street.  
"Hal?" Jonathan asked in surprise.

After some food and rest from the gang, Hal was well enough to talk.  
"And then after the fire, I became part of a group of Christians who were sentenced to life on a slave ship, if you could call it life." Hal explained.  
"Oh Hal." Martha said sympathetically, but Oliver had something besides the poor man's troubles on his mind.  
"Me and Thea's father was on a slave ship." Oliver said. "Robert Queen. Did you know him?"  
"Kiddo, there are hundreds of ships and many of their slaves are Christians." Hal said plainly.  
"But still!" Oliver insisted. "He could've been on your ship!"  
"You should pray he's not." Hal said. "Fyers would rather starve the slaves than feed them. There are hundreds of people still on that ship, and all of them are in worse shape than me."  
"We've gotta do something!" Oliver called out.  
"But what can we do?" Laurel asked.  
"We're going to do what we can with what we have." Jonathan said plainly with a sly smile. "In other words, I think it's time we took our show on the road."

* * *

This is one of my favorite arcs, and I hope you like it.


	14. Onboard the Ship

Chapter 14: Sink or Swim Part 2: Onboard the Ship

As soon as Fyer's ship set in, Bruce and Oliver tied a life boat onto it, at night, for an escape route for the plan ahead.

The next day, there was a faux celebration for the ship's victory against the Gordanians.  
By this point, Laurel was much more confident in her juggling.  
"And now a tribute to your glorious victory!" Clark called out.  
Oliver, Bruce, and Jonathan then showed up behind a cardboard cutout of a boat.  
We are the mighty Gordanians.  
We sail the open skies.  
No Imperial ship can stop us.  
For we are the more wise.  
The three then looked forward.  
"Uh-oh." Jonathan said. "It's the unbeatable..."  
"Undefeatable..." Bruce added.  
"Not real sweatable..." Oliver continued.  
"Edward Fyers the ruthless!" They all cried out as Thea was there on Jonathan and Martha's recently rescued dog, Shelby.  
"Retreat!" Bruce called out.  
"Ramming speed!" Thea called out, and the three were knocked over like bowling pins.  
After that, Oliver and Jonathan snuck down to the rowers while Thea and Shelby cornered Bruce.  
"Wait, I'm an officer!" Bruce called out before he was knocked over.  
As the soldiers cheered, Thea curtseyed to the audience.

At the water, Bruce quickly swam to the boat as Jonathan opened one of the holes for the canons. Bruce then handed a bag of food to Jonathan, who then handed it to Oliver. Oliver then slipped into the slave quarters.  
"Be careful, Oliver." Jonathan whispered.

Oliver looked around. All the slaves were sleeping in rags and hunched to make room for everyone. Oliver was shocked that anyone could be so inconsiderate of people. He undid the bundle and took out some bread, vegetables, and fruit as he walked around.  
"Dad?" Oliver called out. "Dad?"  
Just then, a brown haired man pulled him over.  
"What are you doing here, boy?!" The man asked when he saw the food as Oliver let him have some.  
"I'm looking for my father." Oliver explained.  
"The only thing you'll find here is trouble." The man said after taking a bite of bread. "Now get out of here before you get us all killed."

On the deck, as Clark was doing various acrobatics, a soldier rushed up to Fyers with a scroll.  
"Sir!" The soldier said. "One of our ships was captured in a slave revolt! Lionel orders you to set course at once and capture them before they reach the borders of the empire!"  
"Then cast off immediately." Fyers said plainly. "Sound the battle alarm!"  
As the soldiers sounded the alarm, Clark gulped.  
"Uh, but the show's not over yet." Clark said nervously.

Meanwhile, Oliver had given food to all the slaves.  
"Do any of you know my father Robert Queen?" Oliver asked, when suddenly, a soldier opened the door.  
"All slaves to oars!" He called out, and they went to their posts.  
"Wait!" Oliver called out as they went off. "Has anyone seen my father?!"  
"I'm afraid he's not on this ship, kid." The brown haired man said.  
"Oliver!" Jonathan called out soon afterwards as he pulled Oliver up.

At the deck, Martha and the other children, were by the walls, not being noticed by the preoccupied soldiers.  
"Jonathan?" Martha whispered. "Jonathan?!"

Meanwhile, Bruce was trying to stay near the ship until he got knocked off by one of the oars.

"Martha, what's happening?!" Jonathan asked as the ship continued its hustle and bustle.  
"We're going into battle unless we get off this thing quick!" Martha answered.  
They went to the starboard side of the boat, only to find Bruce hanging onto a rope.  
"Hey guys." Bruce said.  
The soldiers then arrived and pulled Bruce in just before they left the atmosphere. They were all trapped on the ship now.

On the ship, the gang was tossed into the captain's quarters where the captain would arrive to deal with them.  
Everyone then looked around. It was an elegant purple and green colored room with various, expensive, knick-knacks.  
"Wow." Clark said. "This is nice."  
"How can he live like this when so many people are suffering right under his feet?!" Oliver asked angrily.  
"Yeah." Thea added. "Jesus said we should be kind to people."  
"I don't think the captain was listening when Jesus said that." Bruce responded.  
"I'm afraid he's like the man who built his house on the sand." Jonathan said.  
"Who?" Thea asked. She'd never heard of him before.  
"A man Jesus talked about one day when he was teaching in Capernaum.  
"He said to the crowd, 'Everyone who listens to me and does something about it is like a man who builds his house on a rock. Then winter comes, but that house stands up to all because underneath is the rock.  
"'But whoever listens to me and does nothing is like a foolish builder who builds his house on sand. Then winter comes. And the rains fall, and the floods come, and the wind blows. And down comes his house with a tremendous crash.'"  
Just then, Fyers came in and Thea finally had time to notice Fyer's bright blue eyes and curly blond hair.  
"So these are the stowaways?" Fyers asked.  
"Actually, we're-" Jonathan began.  
"Quiet!" Fyers called out. "I don't know why you're still on my ship, but I do know that we're going into battle and every man must pull his weight!"  
Fyers then tossed a mop to Bruce.  
"You, clean the ship!" Fyers shouted as he turned to Oliver. "You, give water to the soldiers!" Fyers then turned to Clark and Thea. "You two stay here and clean." Fyers then turned to Jonathan. "And you, what do you do?"  
"I'm a farmer." Jonathan said. "But my wife and I also bake."  
"Perfect." Fyers said with a smile.  
"My cook makes the worst rolls in the entire navy." Fyers said as he took a roll and dropped it on the floor, and it bounced right back into his hand like it was made of rubber. "Absolutely indestructible. The only thing they're good for is ammunition. You, your wife, and the girl are to go to the galley at once!"  
"Yes sir." Jonathan said as he walked off with Martha and Laurel.

* * *

Well, that didn't go all that well.


	15. Battle for Freedom

Chapter 15: Sink or Swim Part 3: Battle for Freedom

Jonathan, Laurel, and Martha arrived at the ship's galley, led by one of the soldiers.  
"Jonathan Kent and his family reporting for duty." The guard said calmly. The cook turned around to reveal a hideous man with a bulging eye, a bulbous nose, and horrible teeth.  
"Quiet!" The cook said. "I'm making soup for the slaves!"  
"I thought he was washing the dishes." Martha said in disgust.  
"Now that's one rotten tomato." The cook said to himself as he poured in ingredients. "One tiny slice of carrot."  
He then grabbed a live chicken and dunked it into the soup before putting it back in a cage.  
"And finally, one fresh chicken." The cook finished.  
"Now what do you want?" The cook asked.  
"We're here to help with the bread." Jonathan explained.  
"Bread?" The cook asked. "Good. I could use some help. Everybody loves my rolls, and they really came in handy against the Gordanians."  
"So I heard." Jonathan said with a sigh.  
"Well, we'll do our best, sir." Jonathan said.  
"Good." The cook said. "But remember, it's not just a roll, it's a military secret."

At the lowers decks with oars and the like, Oliver was handing water to the soldiers.  
"Get over here with that water!" The man called out.  
Oliver began walking to him when he saw a withered old man at the oars.  
"Just a little sip." He begged. Oliver immediately gave him some.  
"Boy, I said over here!" The man called out and pulled Oliver to him.

Back at the galley, Laurel was working with the cook when he smelled something.  
"That smell." The cook said. It's not supposed to smell like that."  
The cook went to the bread, Jonathan and Martha's finest as Laurel pulled up a stool for him.  
"Perhaps you should taste it and tell us what we're doing wrong." Martha suggested.  
"But I've got so much to do..." The cook said before he grabbed the bread and began eating it.  
"We can finish in the kitchen for you." Jonathan said. "Take your time with the bread."  
"Yes." The cook said as he continued to eat. "Yes, good idea."

As Oliver continued walking around, he gave more water to the old man.  
"I told you to stay away from him!" The head guard called out.  
"He's dying of thirst!" Oliver called out.  
"If he doesn't row, he'll die of much worse." The man said darkly.  
"I'll take his place." Oliver said, pointing at himself.  
"You?!" The man laughed.  
"At least until he gets better." Oliver said calmly.  
"This I've got to see!" The man laughed. "Okay, Little Man. Row."  
Oliver sat down next to the blonde man from before.  
"Well gentlemen," the head guard stated. "Since we have some new blood, let's go at attack speed for awhile."  
"You're just determined to get us killed, aren't you?" The brown haired man said.  
"I was only trying to help." Oliver said.  
"If you wanna help, keep silent and row!" The man said sharply.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Martha worked on the soup while Laurel kept the cook busy.  
"Is this batch any better?" Laurel asked.  
"No, no, it's still too soft." The cook went on. "Please pass the butter."

The rowing was going as well as could be expected with the head guard telling the others not to worry about Oliver.  
"Must be nice to be free." The brown haired man said after awhile.  
"It's not as nice as you'd think." Oliver said sadly. "My dad is a slave, and I don't know where they are."  
"Keep your back straight and bend with your knees." The brown haired man said helpfully.

Eventually, it was time for dinner as the slaves and Oliver went to the galley.  
"That smell." The old man Oliver replaced said. "It smells wonderful."  
"What is it?" Another man asked.  
"It's dinner." Jonathan said as he opened to door. "Come and eat."  
The crew eat the soup Martha and Jonathan made as Jonathan told of Jesus to pass the time.  
"And then Jesus went back to Capernaum." Jonathan said. "People had heard all about him, so they came from all around the countryside to listen to him. He was teaching people about God's way, but the place was packed. No one could get in or out. Four men had brought a paralyzed man for Jesus to heal, but as they couldn't get in, they went to the roof and dug a hole just above Jesus and lowered their friend down.  
"When Jesus saw the trust these four men had in him to help their friend, he said to the paralytic, 'Young man, your sins are forgiven.'  
"'Why does the man say things like that?" Another man behind Jesus exclaimed. 'Only God can forgive sins.'  
"'Is it easy to say to this man, your sins are forgiven or get up, pick up your mat, and walk?" Jesus asked the man before turning to the paralytic and continuing, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk home.'  
"To everyone's surprise, the paralyzed man managed to get onto his feet. He picked up his mat and walked home with his friends."  
"That was an amazing story, Jonathan." The brown haired man said. "And an amazing dinner." He then helped clean up and walked up to Oliver.  
"Hey Oliver." The man said. "The name's Jay Garrick. You did a good thing rowing for the old guy today. I'm sure wherever your father is, he'd be proud."  
"Thanks, but I'm not even sure he's alive." Oliver sighed.  
Jay was about to continue when there was a ruckus above deck.  
"All slaves to oars!" A guard called out.  
"What's happening?" Clark asked.  
"We're under attack by the rebel ship!" Jay said looking out the window.  
"And it's headed right at us!" Bruce added.  
"Hold oars in!" Fyers shouted from the deck. "Hard to starboard! Bring her about now!"  
The ship moved as best as it could, but the ship slammed into them, forcing them down onto the ocean of another planet, with the hole getting filled with water.  
"We have them now!" Fyers said. "To port! To port now!"  
"Sir, some of the oars were damaged in the pass, along with the engine room."  
This was bad news for the crew as the ship quickly turned back around, with the ship stranded on an unknown planet's oceans.  
"Prepare to be boarded!" Fyers called out.

Back in the galley, everyone was ankle deep in water.  
"Where'd the ship go?" Clark asked. "I don't see it."  
"I do." Bruce said as the rebel ship rammed into them again, catching Bruce in its wake.  
"Give me your hand, Bruce!" Jonathan called out, now waist deep in water.  
"Jonathan!" Bruce called out.  
"Hold on, Bruce!" Jonathan said as Bruce was pulled out with the boat. "We'll get to you somehow!"  
Luckily, the crew saw Bruce and pulled him onboard according to Clark's super vision.

On deck, the rebels boarded the ship and fought hard against Fyers' men.  
"Allow me!" Bruce said as he charged forward and assisted in the fight, ending up fighting Fyers himself. "Hope you can swim!"  
Bruce then tossed Fyers over board as he held onto a piece of drift wood.  
The kids used the cleaned out pot from dinner for a boat.  
"We can get out through the kitchen." Jonathan said as they got there with Shelby standing there panting.  
"Good old Shelby." Jonathan sighed. "As calm as can be."  
Oliver was relieved at first, but then he heard the call from the slaves.  
"The slaves are still chained up!" Oliver called out. "They'll drown!"  
"I saw some keys in the captain's quarters while me and Thea were cleaning." Clark stated.  
"Let's go!" Jonathan said as they headed for the captain's quarters.  
"It's locked!" Clark said as he tried the door.  
"What do we do?" Oliver asked. "It won't budge."  
"Look out!" Clark called out as he pointed out Thea on Shelby.  
"Ramming speed!" Thea called out as Shelby plowed through it.  
"Good work, Thea!" Oliver said happily as he ruffled his little sister's hair.  
"Got 'em!" Clark said as he tossed the keys to Oliver.  
"Martha, you and the kids get to the other ship." Jonathan said calmly. "Oliver and I will free the slaves."  
"Be careful." Martha said.  
"We will." Jonathan said as he and Martha kissed.  
Bruce quickly met up with the group on deck and led Martha and the kids to the other ship before looking up in shock.  
"Oliver, Jonathan, look out!" Bruce shouted, but too late. Just as they got to where the slaves were, a piece of flaming rubble slammed over the entrance to the oars.  
"I think I can make it!" Oliver said, pointing to a small opening.  
"Give me your hand." Jonathan said as he lowered Oliver down. "Easy. Easy."  
"Oliver!" Jay said happily as he was holding up the older slaves.  
"Jay, I've got the keys!" Oliver called out.  
"Start with them!" Jay said, pointing to the other side, where the hole was. Oliver quickly freed them as they were helped up by Jonathan and Bruce and rushed to the boat.  
"Everyone, hold on!" Oliver said as he unlocked the other side, but Jay was stuck, and the water was rising higher and higher.  
"JAY!" Oliver called out.  
"Go, kid!" Jay said, but Oliver managed to help Jay get free, and they all just barely made it onto the other ship just as Slade's sank into the sea, and they quickly got onto the other ship, which headed back for Earth immediately to drop off Oliver and the others.

On the way, the old man Oliver helped retold the story, but Oliver could barely take any of it in. He had gotten his only chance to find his father, and he'd failed. However, Jay walked up with another man, a Martian.  
"Hey Oliver, I said I didn't know your father, but here's a man who does. Oliver, meet our captain, B'arzz O'oomm."  
"So you are the son of Robert Queen." B'arzz said.  
"You know my father?" Oliver asked.  
"Know him?" B'arzz asked. "I will never forget him. Your father saved my life during the Great Fire. Last I had heard, he escaped from his ship and went searching for your mother on the farms of Winath. I've never met a braver man, and you are just like him."  
"Do you have any stories about Dad?" Thea asked.  
"As a matter of fact, I do, Thea Queen." B'arzz said. "Once off the atmosphere of Mars, he and I were exploring one of the old Earth space stations."

As the ship left the atmosphere, Fyers clung to the board with the cook and the head guard.  
"We've got to get to land now!" Fyers called out. "Once there, we've got to get a ship and go after them! By the way, what do you think the port will have for dinner, cook?"  
Just then, a giant serpent sprung out of the water.  
"Oh no." Fyers groaned.

* * *

Well... That was dark.


End file.
